[Serum concentration of vitamin K in elderly women with involutional osteoporosis]

Oral administration of vitamin K was reported to increase bone mineral density. However, the possible role of vitamin K in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis still remains unclear. Therefore, we measured the serum concentration of vitamin K1 and K2 (menaquinone-4, 7, 8) in 24 elderly women with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and in 36 elderly women without fracture. Major forms of vitamin K present in sera in this study were vitamin K1 and menaquinone-7. On the other hand, serum menaquinone-4 and -8 were undetectable in most women. Serum concentration of menaquinone-7 was significantly lower in women with fracture than in those without fracture (3.29 +/- 3.63 ng/ml vs 6.26 +/- 5.62, mean +/- SD, respectively), while no difference was found in serum vitamin K1 concentration (0.837 +/- 0.620 ng/ml vs 0.820 +/- 0.686, respectively). There was no difference between both groups in background data such as age, body height, body weight, and body mass index, as well as serum level of calcium, inorganic phosphate, creatinine, albumin, and alkaline phosphatase. These results suggest the possibility that deficiency of vitamin K, particularly that of menaquinone-7, is one of the risk factors for developing osteoporosis.

[Significance of CSF biopterin and neopterin in hereditary progressive dystonia with marked diurnal fluctuation (HPD)--a clue to pathogenesis]

Hereditary progressive dystonia with marked diurnal fluctuation (HPD or dopa-responsive dystonia) is a clinical entity characterized by childhood-onset dystonia followed by parkinsonism, which shows dramatic response to levodopa. However, the same combination of the symptoms is also characteristic of some patients with juvenile parkinsonism (JP: manifesting below the age of 40), and sometimes the correct differentiation between these HPD and JP patients, in the early course of the disorder, may be difficult. In this study, therefore, we analyzed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biopterin (BP) and neopterin (NP) concentrations in 2 patients with HPD, 58 with idiopathic parkinsonism (IP: this group includes 25 cases with JP), 9 with dopa-nonresponsive dystonia (DNRD) and 18 controls, to search for biochemical differences among these disorders. Biopterin is the natural cofactor for tyrosine hydroxylase and NP consists of degradation products of dihydroneopterin triphosphate, which is the first intermediate in the BP biosynthesis from guanosine triphosphate (GTP). As a result, the mean BP level in the IP patients (8.5 +/- 0.3 pmol/ml; mean +/- SE) was significantly lower than those in both the controls (13.2 +/- 0.5, p < 0.001) and the DNRD patients (14.2 +/- 1.2, p < 0.001). The BP levels in the HPD patients (7.1, 5.9) were lower than the mean BP level in the IP patients. With regard to NP content, there were no significant differences in the mean NP levels among the controls (25.2 +/- 2.0 pmol/ml; mean +/- SE) and the patients with IP and DNRD (22.6 +/- 1.0, 25.2 +/- 2.2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A 71-year-old woman with progressive gait disturbance and dementia]

We report a 71-year-old woman with progressive gait disturbance and dementia. The patient was well until 61 years of age (1980) when she noted a gradual onset of gait disturbance. A year later, she noted slurring of the speech and forgetfulness. In 1982, she noted difficulty in looking down and progression of her gait disturbance. In 1983, she became unable to walk alone unless supported. She was admitted to our service in 1984; neurological examination at that time revealed moderate dementia, limitation in the vertical gaze, slurred speech, and wide based ataxic gait. She was discharged for out patient follow up. Cranial CT scan in 1989 revealed cortical, brain stem, and cerebellar atrophies. On March 10, 1990, she fell down and hit her head. She developed headache on April 1, vomited on April 8, and was admitted to our service again. On admission, she was somnolent, she was unable to follow an object to any direction; oculocephalic response was elicited to horizontal directions, however, it was difficult to induce in the vertical direction. Rigidity was noted in the extremities except in the left lower extremity. Rapid alternating movement was difficult and dysmetria was noted in the finger-to nose test. Deep reflexes were exaggerated without clonus; the plantar response was extensor bilaterally. Cranial CT scan revealed bilateral subdural hematoma. She was treated with intravenous infusion of glycerol, and she became alert after this treatment; however, she was markedly demented. She was unable to walk alone. She was discharged to home, but she showed progressive loss of activities, and became bed ridden in December 1992. In January of 1993, she developed fever, dyspnea, and disturbance of consciousness, and was admitted again on January 26, 1993. On admission, her blood pressure was 70 mmHg by palpation and body temperature 38.5 degrees C. The lungs were clear. On neurologic examination, she was semicomatose; the optic fundi were unremarkable; only incomplete eye movements elicited by the oculocephalic reflex. She was passive supine in position; some spontaneous movements were observed in the extremities. Lead-pipe rigidity was noted in both upper extremities, but the muscle tone was decreased in the lower extremities. No abnormal involuntary movements were seen. Deep reflexes were exaggerated except for the ankle jerk which was diminished bilaterally. The plantar response was extensor on both sides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Compliance with prescriptions and adverse drug reactions in the elderly]

We performed a survey concerning prescriptions in the elderly to investigate the influence of ageing on compliance and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. First, we surveyed 222 outpatients attending at our department (average 70.2 y.o.). The physicians in change examined the account of remaining medicines, and we analyzed the relationship between the compliance with prescriptions, age, diseases and medicines. Secondly, we surveyed 282 inpatients (average 68.0 y.o.). We compared the number of prescriptions before hospitalization, at discharge and 6 months after discharge. We also examined the frequency of adverse drug reactions. The number of medicines, which were prescribed for both in- and outpatients, increased according to age. However, no ageing effect on the number of prescriptions per disease was found. The average number of prescriptions per patient at discharge significantly increased compared to that before hospitalization. The average number of prescriptions of the elderly (above 65 y.o.) admitted at emergency case was significantly more than regularly admitted elderly (p < 0.01). The rate of proper medication taking was significantly higher in the elderly than in the young (p < 0.05). The total percentage of adverse drug reactions among inpatients was 18.8%. Among the patients aged above 60 y.o., the frequency of adverse drug reactions increased according to age. Increased number of the prescribed medicines might be involved in the cause of increased adverse drug reactions in the elderly.

Poliomyelitis-like illness after acute asthma (Hopkins syndrome): a histological study of biopsied muscle in a case

A case of Hopkins syndrome is presented. The patient was a 4-year-old boy who developed weakness of the right leg 2-3 days after a mild asthmatic attack. Needle electromyography revealed fasciculation discharges in the right gastrocnemius muscle. A histological study of the biopsied right quadriceps femoris muscle revealed scattered atrophic fibers, indicating lesions in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. This is the first reported case of Hopkins syndrome including muscle pathology.

Pergolide in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Three trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of pergolide. Eighty-six de novo patients and 314 patients already receiving levodopa were enrolled in an open-label study. Of the de novo patients, 47.5% showed a marked or moderate improvement and 32% showed a mild improvement. In the levodopa add-on group, 53.8% showed marked or moderate improvement and 36.3% showed mild improvement. In a short-term, double-blind study, the efficacy of pergolide was compared with that of bromocriptine. One hundred seventy-two patients were randomized to receive pergolide, and 173 were randomized to receive bromocriptine. In de novo patients, bromocriptine (n = 49) and pergolide (n = 49) demonstrated similar efficacy. However, significantly more levodopa-treated patients in the pergolide group, compared with the bromocriptine group, demonstrated marked or moderate improvements in several items of the rating scale score. In a long-term study, 151 of 314 patients receiving pergolide in combination with levodopa remained in the study for 3 years, and 127 for 4 years, and in these patients the initial improvement was maintained. In 18 of 62 de novo patients, the initial improvement was maintained for up to 3 years. These trials indicate that pergolide has efficacy in patients with Parkinson's disease, either as monotherapy or in combination with levodopa.

[Absence of P300 in patients with bilateral hippocampal lesions caused by herpes simplex encephalitis]

In this study we investigated event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in response to somatosensory stimuli in two patients with bilateral hippocampal lesions caused by herpes simplex encephalitis. The patients had severe amnesia, but retained immediate memory, so that they could perform the odd-ball task according to experimental design with the instructions repeated at every session. The ERPs recorded from both patients were similar. In an odd-ball paradigm, early cognitive components, P100 and N140 were elicited to infrequent-target stimuli, but no P300 components were noted. Preservation of selective attention for target stimuli leading to decision was demonstrated by correct responses throughout the examinations. In one patient a clear P300 was visible after she recovered from her memory disturbance 8 months after its onset. These findings suggest that the hippocampus plays an important role in generating the P300, even if the primary generators are present elsewhere in the brain. On the other hand, our findings support the notion that the P300 is a post-decisional component, and has little relevance to decision-making in a series of information processing steps.

The frequency of patients with 50-kd dystrophin-associated glycoprotein (50DAG or adhalin) deficiency in a muscular dystrophy patient population in Japan: immunocytochemical analysis of 50DAG, 43DAG, dystrophin, and utrophin

The 50-kd dystrophin-associated glycoprotein (50DAG or adhalin) in the skeletal muscle has been shown to be deficient in patients with severe childhood autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy prevalent in North Africa. To elucidate the frequency of patients having the 50DAG deficiency in a muscular dystrophy population in Japan, we immunocytochemically examined 50DAG, 43DAG, dystrophin, and utrophin. A total of 243 patients with muscular dystrophy, among 1,035 diagnostic muscle biopsies during the past 2.5 years, were analyzed. We identified five unrelated patients (three females and two males who have no family history) with 50DAG deficiency in the sarcolemma. Thus, 2.1% (5/243) of our muscular dystrophy patient population had 50DAG deficiency.

[A 74-year-old man with urinary incontinence, right leg weakness and multiple cranial nerve palsies]

We report a 74-year-old man with a lung cancer, who developed right leg weakness, neurogenic bladder, and multiple cranial nerve palsies. The patient was well until December of 1992, when he was 74-year-old, when he noted transient double vision; in February of 1993, he noted numb sensation and weakness in his right leg. Later in the same month, he developed overflow incontinence of urine and weakness in his right face. He also noted deafness in his left ear (he had a marked loss of hearing in his right ear since childhood because of otitis media). His weakness in his right leg had progressed, and he was admitted to our service on March 19, 1993. On admission, he was afebrile and BP was 130/50 mmHg. General physical examination was unremarkable. On neurologic examination, he was alert and oriented to all spheres; no dementia was noted nor were detected aphasia, apraxia, and agnosia. His optic fundi were unremarkable; ocular movement appeared normal, however, he complained of diplopia in far vision. Sensation of the face was intact. He had right facial palsy of peripheral type; he was unable to close his right eye, and Bell's phenomenon was observed on attempted eye closure. On the left side, he had facial spasm. He had marked bilateral deafness. He had no dysarthria or dysphagia. The remaining of the cranial nerves were intact. Motor wise, he was unable to stand or walk alone; weakness did not appear to account for his difficulty in gait; manual muscle testing revealed 4/5 weakness in his tibialis anterior muscle, 1/5 in the peroneus longus, 0/5 in his extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum longus, all on the right side. Brachioradial and quadriceps femoris reflexes were increased to 3/4; plantar response was equivocal on the right side, and flexor on the left. Sensory examination revealed loss of touch and pain sensation in the L5 and S1 distributions in his right leg: vibration and position sensations were also diminished in his right foot. He had overflow urinary incontinence with loss of bladder sensation. Marked nuchal stiffness was noted, however, no Kernig's sign or eye ball tenderness was present. Pertinent laboratory findings were as allows; WBC 8,100/microliters, Ht 42.5%, platelet 326,000/microliters, TP 6.8 g/dl, BUN 16 mg/dl, creatinine 0.54 mg/dl, glucose 95 mg/dl, Na 136 mEq/l, K 4.4 mEq/l, Cl 100 mEq/l; liver profile was normal; CEA 436.6 ng/ml, CA19-93 U/ml; urinalysis was normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Hemoglobin-induced lipid peroxidation in the retina: a possible mechanism for macular degeneration

To investigate a possible link between subretinal hemorrhage and macular degeneration, oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) or methemoglobin (metHb) was incubated with retinal homogenate and unsaturated phospholipid peroxidation was monitored by (a) assay of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), (b) luminescence originating from an energy transfer of lipid-degraded products to rose bengal, and (c) the decrease in composition of highly unsaturated fatty acids of phospholipids. TBARS formation and rose bengal luminescence in the case of metHb-induced lipid peroxidation were about 1.5 times greater than those in HbO2-induced lipid peroxidation. alpha-Tocopherol, a lipid-soluble antioxidant, and docosahexaenoic acid, a major unsaturated fatty acid, were slightly more rapidly decomposed after a 60-min incubation with metHb than with HbO2 at the same concentration. Atomic absorption analysis revealed that an equal concentration of iron was released from both HbO2 and metHb during incubation with retinal homogenates. The released iron may promote microsomal phospholipid peroxidation in the presence of endogenous ascorbate or NADPH-dependent cytochrome P-450 reductase because ascorbate oxidase and p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (an inhibitor of sulfhydryl enzymes) inhibited metHb- or HbO2-induced lipid peroxidation. MetHb-induced lipid peroxidation in retina was inhibited by KCN or NaN3, which binds to FeIII of metHb. KCN or NaN3 had no effect on HbO2-induced lipid peroxidation, because conversion of HbO2 to metHb, which can proceed in HbO2 incubated with phospholipid liposome, did not occur in retinal homogenates. It is concluded that metHb induces peroxidation of retinal unsaturated phospholipids (1) directly and (2) by releasing iron.

Sarcoglycan complex is selectively lost in dystrophic hamster muscle

We recently reported that the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein (DAG) complex is biochemically divided into two subcomplexes: one is the dystroglycan complex comprised of 156DAG and 43DAG and the other is the sarcoglycan complex comprised of 50DAG, A3b, and 35DAG. A3b is a novel dystrophin-associated glycoprotein with an approximate molecular mass of 43 kd but is distinct from 43DAG. In the present study, we examined the striated muscles of the dystrophic hamster with anti-A3b antibody in addition to anti-50DAG, anti-43DAG, anti-35DAG, anti-dystrophin, and anti-laminin antibodies by both immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis and found that 50DAG, A3b, and 35DAG are selectively lost. This selective defect of the sarcoglycan complex in dystrophic hamster muscles may give rise to dystrophic changes in striated muscles. Thus, the differentiation of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex into the dystroglycan and sarcoglycan complexes is important not only from a biochemical standpoint but also in understanding the cause of muscular dystrophy in the hamster. Our findings further show that the dystrophic hamster may serve as an animal model for a human disease, severe childhood autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy, which has recently been shown to result from a selective defect in the sarcoglycan complex.

A single gel analysis of 575 dominant and codominant restriction landmark genomic scanning loci in mice interspecific backcross progeny

We identified 575 new NotI landmarks of C57BL/6(B)- and M. spretus (S)-specific, dominant and codominant loci which were segregated in B x S interspecific backcrosses (BSS), using the restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) spot mapping method. All of these loci were visualized on a single RLGS profile which was produced with NotI-PvuII-PstI. These landmarks include 250 newly identified S-specific spots in addition to the previously reported 325 B-specific spots. The S-specific spots were identified by reading full or half intensity, based on the property that the spot intensity of the autoradiographic signal reflected the copy number of an end-labeled restriction landmark. The cumulative map is 1341 cM and it is based upon 985 meiotic events in 72 backcross progeny. This map covers 90% of the total estimated length of the mouse genetic map. This map provides a good tool for the high-speed genome scanning assay in the mouse genome by a single RLGS gel analysis.

Neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of neuron-specific enolase on cultured neurons from embryonic rat brain

We previously reported that the gamma gamma-isozyme of enolase, NSE), one of the glycolytic enzymes, promoted the survival of embryonic rat neocortical neurons in culture, but alpha alpha-isozyme (non-neuronal enolase) had no effect. In the present study, the neurotrophic effects of NSE on cultured mesencephalic and spinal neurons from rat embryo were examined. NSE promoted the survival of neurons not only in neocortical cultures but also in mesencephalic and spinal cord cultures. Furthermore, NSE showed neuroprotective action on cultured neocortical neurons in a low-oxygen atmosphere. By contrast, non-neuronal enolase did not show any neurotrophic or neuroprotective activities. To clarify the mechanism of the neurotrophic effect of NSE, the binding of NSE to cultured neurons was determined by radio-receptor assay using 125I-labelled NSE. The specific binding, which was dose-dependent, saturable, and calcium-dependent, could be detected. These results suggest that NSE has neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects on rather a broad spectrum of neurons in the central nervous system. The existence of specific binding of NSE to cultured neurons suggests the possibility that receptor-like or carrier-like molecules on the neuronal surface are involved in the neurotrophic activity of NSE.

Isolation and culture of bovine mammary epithelial cells and establishment of gene transfection conditions in the cells

Bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) were isolated as acinous fragments from a mammary gland of a lactating cow. They grew well on plastic substratum, showed the characteristic cobblestone morphology of epithelial cells, and secreted alpha s1-, beta-, and kappa-caseins even when grown on plastic substratum. A plasmid containing the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene was transfected to the isolated BMEC by calcium phosphate precipitation and electroporation methods. The transfection efficiency of BMEC by the calcium phosphate method was greatly improved by post-transfection osmotic shock with glycerol or polyethylene glycol. An about 700 bp DNA fragment containing 5'-flanking sequence of bovine alpha s1-casein gene showed promoter activity in the transfected BMEC. The primary culture of BMEC might be useful for studies on regulation of bovine milk-protein gene expression.

[A 54-year-old man with progressive proximal muscle atrophy and gynecomastia]

We report a 54-year-old man with progressive proximal muscle atrophy and gynecomastia. The patient had an insidious onset of weakness in his lower extremities at age 14, in that he noted a difficulty in standing up from a chair. Soon after he noted some difficulty in climbing up stairs. At age 35, he noted weakness in his arms; his weakness slowly progressed in that he became unable to walk or stand alone before 40 years of age. He also noted gynecomastia at that age. He was admitted to our hospital for the work up on September 16, 1993, when he was 54-year-old. On admission, he was alert and oriented; his BP was 150/70 mmHg; he had bilateral gynecomastia, however, no other skeletal deformities were found. On neurologic examination, he was mentally sound without dementia, and his higher cerebral functions were normal. Cranial nerves also appeared intact without facial atrophy, dysarthria, or dysphagia; no atrophy was noted in the tongue. He had marked muscle atrophy in both upper and lower extremities more marked in the proximal portions; muscle strength was approximately in the range of 2/5 to 3/5 in the proximal parts, and 4/5 in the distal parts in both upper and lower extremities. No fasciculation was noted; muscle tone was flaccid; no ataxia was present. Deep reflexes were either lost or markedly diminished. No Babinski sign was noted. Sensation was intact. Laboratory examination revealed normal blood counts; serum CK was slightly increased to 131 IU/l; ECG showed complete right bundle branch block; EMG revealed no active units in the right biceps brachii, deltoid, quadriceps femoris, and triceps surae muscles; in other muscles tested, motor unit potentials of low amplitude and short duration were seen; in the right tibialis anterior muscle, however, motor unit potentials with an amplitude up to 6 m V were also seen. Nerve conduction velocities were normal. A diagnostic procedure was performed. He was discussed in the neurological CPC, and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that this patient had Becker type of progressive muscular dystrophy. In her differential diagnosis, the possibility of Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome was discussed because this patient had gynecomastia. However, the discussant excluded that possibility because of absence of both bulbar symptoms and typical neurogenic changes in his EMG. The diagnostic procedure was a muscle biopsy on the left tibialis anterior muscle. Histologic observation on HE stained specimens revealed marked inequality in the muscle fiber diameters, increase in endomysial nuclei, proliferation of connective tissue, and fiber splitting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Two patients with far advanced gastric cancer responding to combination chemotherapy with 5-FU and CDDP]

Combination chemotherapy with 5-FU and CDDP was given to two patients with far advanced gastric cancer. One patient was associated with metastases of lung, liver, pancreas and Virchow and periaortic lymph nodes, and the other was associated with metastases of periaortic lymph nodes and malignant ascitis. The regimen consisted of 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2 (day 1-5, continuous infusion) and CDDP 100 mg/m2 (day 3, 1 hr drip infusion). The interval was from the 6th to the 21st day. The response to chemotherapy showed shrinking of primary gastric lesions and metastases of liver, pancreas and periaortic lymph nodes, and disappearance of Virchow lymph nodes and malignant ascitis. Adverse reactions were thrombocytopenia (Grade 4), leukocytopenia (Grade 3), stomatitis (Grade 1, 3), vomiting (Grade 1, 2) and peripheral neuropathy (Grade 3). This therapy is thought to be effective against far advanced gastric cancer.

Comparative mapping of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase type 1 alpha (PPP1CA) to human, rat, and mouse chromosomes

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization method, the gene encoding the protein phosphatase type 1 alpha catalytic subunit (PPP1CA) was localized to human chromosome band 11q13, rat chromosome band 1q43, and mouse chromosome band 7E3-F2. These results suggest that PPP1CA is a member of a syntenic group.

Somatosensory evoked blink response: findings in patients with Miller Fisher syndrome and in normal subjects

Reflex blinking was elicited by the electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves and various parts of the body of seven of 11 patients with Miller Fisher syndrome. This reflex blinking disappeared during recovery. Reflex blinking was elicited in normal subjects only with specific stimulation of the peripheral nerves of their upper extremities. This response may be due to a release phenomenon transmitted via the brainstem reticular formation and may be useful in detecting latent CNS involvement in patients with Miller Fisher syndrome.

Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate is a novel specific inhibitor of protein phosphatase PP2A

Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate (TF23A), a cytotoxic compound from marine red alga, has been shown to potently and specifically inhibit serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) with IC50 values of 4-16 microM, depending on the enzyme concentration. TF23A did not affect activity of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), 2B (PP2B), 2C (PP2C), or protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) up to 1 mM. It inhibited PP2A activity in a crude extract of a human T cell line, Jurkat cell, as well as the purified catalytic subunit. Thus, TF23A proved to be a novel useful probe for clearly distinguishing the activity of PP2A from those of the other protein phosphatases in crude cell extracts and identification of cellular processes that are regulated by PP2A.

Clinical experience with the ACS RX Lifestream coronary dilatation catheter: a new low profile perfusion balloon catheter

BACKGROUND

Although the use of the perfusion balloon catheter (PBC) has been widely accepted, there are some indicational limitations in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). A new low profile perfusion balloon catheter, the ACS RX Lifestream Coronary Dilatation Catheter, was developed by Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. in which material and structures were improved to reduce previous limitations. PURPOSE AND STUDY DESIGN: In order to evaluate the ACS RX Lifestream Catheter's performance not only in PTCA but also in stent implantation, we used the catheter in 45 consecutive patients (male = 35, mean age 66 years) with combined use of 6F guiding catheter. Exclusions included total occlusions, long diffuse and acute MI lesions. There were 4 with Left Main Trunk Disease (LMTD), 15 with single vessel disease, 26 with multi-vessel disease, 20 with prior MI, 4 with prior CABG, and 10 with unstable angina. In bare stent procedures, a Johnson & Johnson metal stent was mounted on an ACS RX Lifestream Catheter previously used for predilation. Stent delivery and post-dilatation were performed using the same balloon.

RESULTS

Forty-nine lesions in 45 cases (de novo lesion-31) including 7 of Type A, 15 of Type B1, 19 of Type B2, and 8 of Type C lesions were successfully dilated without any complications. Primary guiding catheter use was 6F in 40, 7F in 2 and 8F in 3 cases. The perfusion balloon was used alone in 30 cases and combined with stent placement in 15 cases. In 40 cases of 6F use, the ACS RX Lifestream Catheter could not cross the lesion in 3 cases at first attempt, of which 2 cases were successfully dilated with the balloon after predilatation with standard low-profile balloon catheters. Two cases with 7F use were bail-out cases after PTCA for long diffuse lesions. In one case of 8F guide use, flow patterns of ACS RX Lifestream Catheters and ACS RX Flowtrack Coronary Dilatation Catheters were examined with a flow-wire in the same lesion for comparison. All 15 stent cases performed using bare technique (10 with 6F, 2 with 7F and 3 with 8F guiding catheters) including 7 primary and 8 secondary use, were successful. Percent diameter stenosis pre-dilatation was 81% and 12.8% post-procedure.

CONCLUSION

ACS RX Lifestream Catheter is a useful device in both PTCA and bare stent procedures. Consequently, it is possible to expand its indications to more difficult types of lesions.

Chromosomal localization of human, rat, and mouse protein phosphatase type 1 beta catalytic subunit genes (PPP1CB) by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) method, gene encoding the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase type 1 beta (PPP1CB) in human and its corresponding gene in rat (PP1 delta) and mouse (dis2m2) were mapped to human 2p23, rat 6q21-q23, and mouse 12D, respectively. These results indicate that PPP1CB is a member of conserved syntenic group. It is shown that the genes encoding catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase type 1 family (PP1 alpha, PP1 beta, and PP1 gamma in human and those corresponding genes in rat and mouse), in spite of their high identity, are located to different chromosomes in these three species.

Confirmation of hepatitis C virus transmission through needlestick accidents by molecular evolutionary analysis

To document the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through needlestick accidents, 3 health workers who acquired HCV through such accidents and their HCV donor patients were studied using molecular evolutionary analysis based on the HCV E2 region. At least six clones were sequenced from each subject. Nucleotide substitutions were estimated by the six-parameter method, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed by the neighbor-joining method. HCV isolates from the donor patient and the recipient were nested in one monophyletic cluster; this clustering was confirmed to be statistically significant by bootstrap analysis. The nucleotide divergence among the isolates from the recipient was always smaller than that from the donor, supporting the notion that the direction of transmission was from the donor to the recipient. These findings provide evidence, at a molecular evolutionary level, that HCV was transmitted through needlestick accidents.

Determination of the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and physical response to sevoflurane inhalation in horses

The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane required to prevent gross purposeful movement in response to electrical stimulation of the oral mucous membranes was determined in horses, and their physical responses to inhalation of this anesthetic were observed. The MAC was 2.31 +/- 0.11%. The horses showed good ventilation, without any signs of airway irritation such as coughing. The horses became slightly excited before they laid down. The end tidal sevoflurane concentration (ESC) required to produce recumbency was 2.54 +/- 0.11%. These results suggest that sevoflurane is a clinically useful anesthetic agent in horses.