Expression of cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha, in MAM acetate and 1-hydroxyanthraquinone-induced colon carcinogenesis of rats

The expression of cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha, was examined by means of a reverse transcription followed by PCR (RT-PCR) in rat colon carcinogenesis. Forty male F344 rats were used and divided into four groups. At the start of the experiment, 20 rats were treated with methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate (25 mg/kg body wt, one time, i.p.) and divided into two groups; group 1 was exposed to 1% 1-hydroxyanthraquinone (1-HAQ) and group 2 was fed a basal diet during the experiment (40 weeks). Other rats were also divided into two groups; group 3 was exposed to 1% 1-HAQ as group 1, and group 4 was used as control. Tumor incidence (100%) and multiplicity (5.00 +/- 2.05) in group 1 were significantly greater than those in group 2 (20% and 0.2 +/- 0.42) and group 3 (10% and 0.10 +/- 0.32) (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01 respectively). RT-PCR technique with RNA was applied to the tissues from colon neoplasms and mucosa in each group. Expression of TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha in the colon neoplasms was much stronger than that in the colon mucosa of each group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01 respectively). The expression of TNF-alpha was more remarkable in the colon mucosa of group 1 than that in corresponding tissue of groups 2 and 3 (P < 0.01). The expressions of TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha were more increased in the colon mucosa of groups 1, 2 and 3 than that in group 4 as control (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively). The results indicate that TNF-alpha and IL-1 alpha may act as growth factors in rat colon carcinogenesis by MAM acetate and 1-HAQ. In addition, the synergistic effect of 1-HAQ with MAM acetate in colon carcinogenesis might be related to biological effects of the cytokines expressed in the inflammatory condition generated by 1-HAQ.

A case of fibrous histiocytoma associated with xanthogranulomatous alteration

We report here an unusual case of fibrous histiocytoma in which an area of xanthogranuloma was observed histologically. Our case suggests that adult xanthogranuloma is a variant of fibrous histiocytoma.

Antiphospholipid antibodies. A prognostic factor in sarcoidosis?

Serum antibodies against five types of phospholipids, antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 55 patients with sarcoidosis. Either IgG or IgM aPL were detected in 21 patients (38 percent). This positive rate was significantly higher than that (7 percent) of healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). In terms of immunoglobulin classes, 5 cases had IgG aPL only, 11 cases had IgM aPL only, and 5 cases had both classes of aPL. No correlation was observed between the occurrence of aPL and disease activity of sarcoidosis. A significant correlation was noted between the occurrence of aPL and many extrathoracic organ lesions or the persistence of abnormal chest x-ray film findings for periods of 2 and 5 years. Taken together, the presence of aPL in sarcoidosis is a useful index to judge the prolongation of the disease.

MRI and MRS studies on acute effects of ethanol in the rat brain

Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) were used to examine the effects of intoxicating doses of ethanol on the rat brain. 1H-MR images were obtained using three different methods: (1) PD weighted images, (2) T1 weighted images and (3) T2 weighted images. T1 and T2 relaxation times of the tissues were calculated by pixel-to-pixel image computation. After ethanol treatment, the cerebral hemispheres showed high signal intensities in the T1 weighted images, whereas low signal intensities were observed in the T2 weighted images, markedly in the cortex. At 4 h, the T1 values significantly decreased in the thalamus and the hypothalamus of the ethanol treated rats compared with those of the animals under pentobarbital anesthesia. At 1 h, the T2 values significantly decreased in the cortex of the ethanol treated rats. At 4 and 24 h, the T2 values significantly decreased throughout the cerebral hemispheres in the ethanol treated rats. The in vivo 31P-MRS results showed that after ethanol treatment, ATP and phosphocreatine slightly decreased, but not to a great degree. Intracellular pH levels, determined using the values of the chemical shift in inorganic phosphate peaks, decreased and returned to normal by 4 h. In the highly sedated animals, the acidosis observed early on was followed by heavy alkalosis. In in vitro 1H-MR spectra of brain and blood extract samples, many kinds of metabolites were assigned. The quantitative results were as follows: (1) Blood and brain ethanol levels rose to a peak at 1 h after ethanol treatment and no ethanol was detected at 24 h in any samples. (2) Blood acetate levels increased significantly, and returned to the control level by 24 h, whereas the brain acetate levels were largely unchanged. (3) Blood lactate levels decreased significantly at 0.5 h and brain lactate levels mildly increased and rose to a peak at 2 h. (4) Brain N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) increased at 0.5 h significantly and decreased significantly at 4 h. Electron microscopic findings were as follows: (1) Both neuronal and glial cells were edematous after ethanol treatment. (2) Congestion was serious in all the regions we observed, and it was still present 24 h after ethanol treatment. (3) Swelling of mitochondria was observed in capillary endothelial cells. Our results suggest that high doses of ethanol cause circulatory disorders in the rat brain and disturb the water balance in the cerebral tissues, changing the structures of intracellular water molecules. It also causes metabolic confusion without depletion of high energy phosphate metabolites.

Left ventricular mass and subsequent blood pressure changes among middle-aged men in rural and urban Japanese populations

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that echocardiographically determined left ventricular mass (LVM) is useful in the prediction of hypertension. To examine the relation between LVM and subsequent blood pressure (BP) change, a 6- to 8-year follow-up was conducted in adult Japanese men.

METHODS AND RESULTS

LVM was determined by M-mode echocardiography using the American Society of Echocardiography formula among 354 normotensive men aged 30 to 59 years from a rural community (n = 193) and from urban companies (n = 161) in Japan between 1979 and 1983. BP was remeasured 6 to 8 years after baseline in 148 rural men (77%) and 127 urban men (79%). For men whose BP was remeasured, the mean +/- SD LVM index (LVM/body surface area [g/m2]) at baseline was 117 +/- 22 in rural men and 99 +/- 15 in urban men (the difference, P < .001). For both populations, LVM index was positively associated with age and physical activity but not with body mass index. Associations of LVM index with usual alcohol intake and initial BPs were generally weak. According to linear regression analyses after controlling for these covariates at baseline, a 20-g/m2 greater LVM index at baseline was associated with a 5 mm Hg increase in systolic and a 4 mm Hg increase in diastolic BP during the subsequent 6 to 8 years for urban men. A 1-mm greater average ventricular wall thickness was associated with a similar BP increase. For rural men, positive associations of LVM index with BP increase existed but were weak. The weaker association between LVM index and BP increase in rural compared with urban men was probably the result of effects of higher physical activity, leading to a larger left ventricular internal dimension. The increase in systolic and diastolic BPs over the 6 to 8 years of observation was significantly related to baseline LVM index in rural and urban men with a smaller internal dimension (rural men, < or = 49 mm; urban men, < or = 47 mm) but not in those with larger dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS

An increased LVM index predicts subsequent BP increase in middle-aged normotensive men in the presence of a normal or small internal dimension.

Horizontal transmission of Salmonella enteritidis and effect of stress on shedding in laying hens

Horizontal transmission of Salmonella enteritidis in laying hens and the short-term effect of stress on shedding were examined in 32 seven-month-old laying hens. Half were inoculated with 10(5) colony-forming units of S. enteritidis phage type 4, and the remaining half were left uninoculated to study horizontal transmission. Isolation of S. enteritidis from cecal droppings of all hens was attempted every morning. Uninoculated hens rapidly became infected through contaminated drinking water. Introduction of young chickens to the same rearing room and withdrawal of water and feed for 2 days coincided with a rapid increase in the shedding rate of S. enteritidis for a short period of time. The results showed that a short-term increase in the shedding rate of S. enteritidis is associated with short-term exposure to environmental stress.

[A case of Budd-Chiari syndrome treated by radical operation under hepatic perfusion and extracorporeal circulation]

A 41-year-old male patient of Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with membranous obstructions of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava and the left hepatic vein was reported. A radical operation was carried out. The retrohepatic inferior vena cava was reconstructed by a ringed EPTFE patch graft after endovenectomy with the aid of extracorporeal circulation for caval and portal bypasses utilizing cold hepatic perfusion. The patient has been doing well 18 months after the operation.

Involvement of a DNA binding protein, MDR-NF1/YB-1, in human MDR1 gene expression by actinomycin D

The human multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene is an SOS gene that responds to environmental stress including various anticancer agents. The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene was linked to various lengths of MDR1 promoter, and these constructs were integrated into the genome of human cancer KB cells. Using these cell lines, we previously demonstrated that various environmental stimuli lead to an increased abundance of both CAT enzymatic activity and CAT mRNA in a sequence dependent manner. We examined the molecular mechanism of this stress response using actinomycin D, a potent RNA synthesis inhibitor. We found that CAT activity was significantly increased more than 10 fold by actinomycin D itself without comparable elevation of CAT mRNA. CAT induction was, however, lost in the presence of a deletion from position -136 to -76. Gel mobility shift assays showed that the specific DNA binding activity of the transacting protein, MDR-NF1/YB-1, which binds to the inverted CCAAT box, was augmented in nuclear extracts from the cells treated with actinomycin D. We also found that actinomycin D increased the steady state levels of MDR-NF1/YB-1 mRNA, which encodes the inverted CCAAT box binding protein. These results indicate that MDR-NF1/YB-1 mediates the response of the MDR1 gene to environmental stress.

Effects of herbimycin A and its derivatives on growth and differentiation of Ph1-positive acute lymphoid leukemia cell lines

The molecular basis of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) is a structurally altered c-abl (bcr/abl) gene which encodes an abnormally large protein with protein tyrosine kinase activity. Herbimycin A, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, preferentially inhibited the growth of Ph1-positive acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) cell lines, as well as Ph1-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell lines. Although noncytotoxic concentrations of herbimycin A induced erythroid differentiation of two CML-derived cell lines, K562 and KU812, in a previous study, the differentiation-inducing effect of herbimycin A on Ph1-positive ALL cell lines was less strong. Herbimycin A enhanced some differentiation-associated properties of one Ph1-positive ALL cell line, L2, but the effect of herbimycin A on the other Ph1-positive ALL cell lines was cytotoxic rather than cytostatic (differentiation-inducing). Several derivatives of herbimycin A were synthesized and their effects on the cell proliferation of Ph1-positive CML and ALL cell lines were examined. The sensitivities of the Ph1-positive cell lines to herbimycin A derivatives were different from the data on the rat kidney cell line infected with Rous sarcoma virus (v-src) derived from a previous study, suggesting bcr/abl kinase may differ in sensitivity from other tyrosine kinases. Moreover, the sensitivities of the ALL cell lines were not the same as those of the CML cell lines. These results suggest that a specific inhibitor of bcr/abl kinase could be an effective antileukemic agent against Ph1-positive CML or ALL.

Female predominance of extrathymic T cells in mice: statistical analysis

Female predominance of autoimmune diseases is widely known in humans and animals. To elucidate one of the underlying mechanisms, we examined whether sex differences exist at the level of extrathymic T cells in various organs of mice under physiological conditions. This attempt came from previous experimental results showing that estrogen administration to mice activates extrathymic T cells in the liver. Extrathymic T cells expressing TCR (and CD3) of intermediate intensity (i.e., intermediate TCR cells) and a high level of IL-2 receptor beta-chain (IL-2R beta), and thymus-derived T cells expressing TCR of bright intensity (i.e., bright TCR cells) and lacking IL-2R beta, were identified by immunofluorescent tests using mAbs. Three groups of different strains were examined. It was demonstrated that intermediate TCR cells were much more predominant in the liver and some other organs tested of female mice than of male mice, of each strain tested.

Correlation of p53 protein expression in human urothelial transitional cell cancers with malignant potential and patient survival

The p53 gene product has been detected frequently in various human malignancies. We have studied the expression of p53 protein in urothelial transitional cell cancers (TCCs) and examined its correlation with pathologic grade, stage(pT) and patient survival. Specimens from 69 surgically-resected TCCs (38 cases of urinary bladder cancer, 17 cases of ureteral cancer and 14 cases of renal pelvic cancer) were examined by immunohistochemical staining, using two anti-p53 monoclonal antibodies, PAb1801 and PAb240, and a polyclonal antibody, CM-1. Twenty-six TCCs (37.6%) were positively stained by at least one of the three antibodies. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between p53 expression and high pathologic grade (p < 0.05, p < 0.001) or progressive pathologic stage (p < 0.01). In addition, in 51 of the patients who were available for follow-up (23 cases of urinary bladder cancer, 13 cases of ureteral cancer, and 15 cases of renal pelvic cancer), the correlation between p53 protein expression and prognosis was examined. The survival of patients exhibiting positive p53 protein expression was significantly worse than those with p53-negative tumors (p < 0.05). These results suggest that an immunohistochemical test for p53 protein may be a useful method of evaluating the malignant potential of TCCs. Additionally, expression of p53 protein in TCCs is an indicator of a poor prognosis which should be considered in drawing up treatment strategies.

Antihistone antibodies in systemic sclerosis. Association with pulmonary fibrosis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of antihistone antibodies (AHA) in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHODS

Serum samples from patients with limited cutaneous SSc (n = 44), diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc; n = 48), and other SSc-related disorders (n = 22) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting for AHA.

RESULTS

AHA were demonstrated in 29% of the 92 SSc patients and in 44% of those with dcSSc. The presence of AHA correlated with severe pulmonary fibrosis in those with dcSSc. Immunoblotting revealed that the predominant antigen was histone H1.

CONCLUSION

AHA might be a serologic indicator of the severity of pulmonary fibrosis in SSc.

Bonhoeffer-van der Pol oscillator model of the sino-atrial node: a possible mechanism of heart rate regulation

A Bonhoeffer-van der Pol equation with a stable limit cycle is proposed as a model of the pacemaker in the sino-atrial node to explain heart rate regulation. Standard tools, such as the phase transition curve in nonlinear dynamic system theory, are used to analyze the model and results are compared with other studies on experiments with dogs.

Toe skin temperature as a guide to epidural anaesthesia dosing

To determine the time for additional epidural anaesthesia, skin temperature of the big toe was evaluated in 50 patients undergoing mastectomy. Epidural catheters were placed at or near the T5-6 intervertebral space and 12 ml, lidocaine 1.5% with 1:200,000 epinephrine were injected. When the skin temperature, which had increased following epidural anaesthesia, decreased by 0.3 degrees C without an increase of systolic arterial blood pressure (ABP) of more than 20%, 8 ml lidocaine 1.5% were injected. If the skin temperature increased, the monitor was judged to have been useful. When ABP increased > 20% without a decrease of skin temperature, the monitor was judged not to have been useful. Monitoring of toe skin temperature was useful in 39 patients (78%) in estimating the time for the first additional dose of epidural anaesthetic. First, second and third intervals between injection were 96.5 +/- 21.0 (n = 39), 69.7 +/- 14.2 (n = 35) and 50.1 +/- 12.2 min (n = 7), respectively. We conclude that, when epidural puncture is performed at upper thoracic levels, toe skin temperature can be a useful monitor to judge the time for additional anaesthetic.

Cortical magnetic and electric fields associated with voluntary finger movements

Multichannel recordings of both movement-related magnetic fields (MRMFs) and movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) were simultaneously recorded in association with voluntary unilateral self-paced index finger abduction movement in two normal volunteers. 1) Slow magnetic field (readiness field; RF) can be detected several hundred msec before the movement onset, and its field distribution indicates the existence of the largest generator source over the contralateral primary motor area. Taken together with the vertex-maximal Bereitschaftspotential which corresponds to the earlier part of the RF, the complexity of this magnetic field suggested by relatively low correlation value in single dipole model indicates the co-activation of other underlying generators besides this largest dipole. 2) The utilization of MRMF with MRCP facilitates the separation of two distinct electrophysiological events in proximity to the movement onset, which are difficult to be determined by the technique of MRCP only. Those are the motor field (MF) and the movement evoked field I (MEFI) in MRMF, and the parietal peak motor potential (ppMP) and the frontal peak motor potential (fpMP) in MRCP, which occur approximately 20 and 100 msec after EMG onset, respectively. These two subcomponents may imply the culmination of motor cortex and sensory feedback activation, respectively. Combined study of MRMF and MRCP will provide better definition of cortical events related to voluntary movement than the study of either modality alone.

[Dilated pericerebellar fluid space in patients with chronic subdural hematoma]

It is not uncommon to observe the dilation of the pericerebellar fluid space (PCFS) on CT in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). CT scans of 92 patients with CSDH proven by surgery were reviewed with respect to the dilatation of PCFS and we evaluated the incidence of dilated PCFS and the relationship between PCFS and other factors. There were 68 males and 24 females. Patients ranged in age from 20 to 90 years (mean 65.2 years). Another 50 patients without CSDH were also reviewed as a control group. A new PCFS grading based on the CT findings was proposed, divided into 3 grades as follows. In grade 0, no PCFS could be seen on CT scans. In grade 1, PCFS could be detected along the posterior aspect of the petrous pyramid, and in grade 2, PCFS could be seen not only along the posterior aspect of the petrous pyramid but also under the tentorium cerebelli. The dilation of PCFS was seen in 78 patients (84.8%) out of the 92 cases. In 50 patients without CSDH (control group), the dilatation of PCFS was noted only in 6 (12%). The dilatation of PCFS was almost always seen on the same side as the CSDH. Among many factors, the significant factor was the degree of the midline shift, the bigger the midline shift caused by CSDH, the larger was the dilated PCFS. Although the mechanism of the dilated PCFS in patients with CSDH is not clear, it is postulated that the mechanism is caused by CSF flow disturbance, compression or adhesion of the subarachnoid space due to CSDH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anaesthetic management of a neonate with prenatally diagnosed cervical tumour and upper airway obstruction

We report the anaesthetic management of a mother, and airway management of a neonate with a prenatal diagnosis of cervical cystic hygroma causing upper airway obstruction. The mortality of such neonates due to upper airway obstruction is reported to exceed 20% following deliveries. Elective Caesarean section was performed under general anaesthesia, and in utero tracheal intubation of the neonate was accomplished under uninterrupted maternal-fetal circulation. By utilizing isoflurane and ritodrine, the heart rate of the neonate remained between 120 to 150 bpm for four minutes following uterine incision. We believe that it is important that a multidisciplinary approach be initiated for planning of airway management of the neonate soon after the diagnosis is made. Laryngoscopy blades larger than normal for neonates, and a portable Doppler to monitor the viability of the neonate were found to be useful in the management of the neonate during in utero tracheal intubation. Although estimated blood loss was not increased, nor did uterine atony occur postoperatively despite the use of ritodrine during Caesarean section, the efficacy and safety of ritodrine to delay placental detachment have not been proved.

[Cytogenetic subtyping of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma and carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma]

Current research on salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma is aimed at grouping the cases by cytogenetical aberrations into several subtypes. In this report, 21 cases of pleomorphic adenomas were analysed cytogenetically and divided into 4 subtypes following Bullediek's method; normal karyotype (6 cases), 8q12 rearrangement (8 cases), 12q13-15 rearrangement (5 cases) and other aberrations (2 cases). The average occurrence age of each group was examined. The 8q12 rearrangement group (37.2 y.o.) was younger than the normal karyotype (49.2 y.o.) and 12q13-15 rearrangement groups (52.4 y.o.). Histological subtyping based on Seifert's classification was made and its relationship with the above cytogenetic subtypes was studied. In the 8q12 rearrangement group, Seifert's type-1 was predominant (88%), while in the normal karyotype and 12r13-15 rearrangement groups, Seifert's type-2 was the most common (50% and 80% respectively). We also examined 2 cases of carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma. Although both showed some cytogenetic abnormalities, no aberrations specific to pleomorphic adenoma (8q12 or 12q13-15 rearrangement) were found. This suggests that original adenomas of these carcinomas showed a normal karyotype or other types of aberrations.

Postictal behavior. A clinical and subdural electroencephalographic study

OBJECTIVE

To examine postictal behaviors after temporal lobe complex partial seizures (CPSs) and to correlate these behavioral phenomena with side of origin and ictal spread pattern.

DESIGN

Review language and other behavioral phenomena after seizures defined by subdural electroencephalography.

SETTINGS

A surgical epilepsy center.

PATIENTS

We studied postictal behavior following 65 CPSs in 18 patients with left hemisphere language dominance using subdural electrode recordings.

INTERVENTION

Subdural electrodes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Language function, affect, orientation, and postictal automatisms.

RESULTS

Following the CPS ictal discharge, the mean interval for initial nonreflexive response to an environmental stimulus was 43 seconds (left foci, 57 seconds; right foci, 29 seconds; not significantly) and for first correct verbal response was 219 seconds (left foci, 275 seconds; right foci, 167 seconds; not significant). Impaired comprehension with fluent but unintelligible speech, as well as anomia, occurred after seizures arising from either temporal lobe. All nine seizures followed by global or nonfluent aphasia originated on the left side. Paraphasic errors were significantly more common after left temporal CPSs. Prolonged disorientation for place and flat affect were significantly more common after right temporal CPS. Postictal automatisms were frequent and included rubbing of the face, fumbling and picking hand movements, and repetitive oral movements.

CONCLUSIONS

Postictal paraphasias, disorientation for place, and flat affect most likely reflect the functions of the area from which seizures arise but not the areas involved by spread.

Regulation of secretion and surface expression of Mac-2, a galactoside-binding protein of macrophages

Mac-2, a 30-35-kDa galactose-binding protein, is synthesized at similar levels in murine peritoneal exudate macrophages whether recruited in response to an intraperitoneal pathogen Mycobacterium microti, to sterile inflammatory stimuli such as thioglycollate broth, or to concanavalin A. In elicited or activated macrophages up to 30% of Mac-2 is constitutively secreted, and secretion is stimulated markedly by calcium ionophore A23187. Only thioglycollate-elicited macrophages express cell surface Mac-2, and binding is mostly (> 80%) a result of affinity for cell surface carbohydrate structures. Mac-2 surface expression is markedly reduced upon further activation of thioglycollate-elicited macrophages with bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vitro. Polylactosamine structures are present on all macrophage populations examined as determined by binding of Lycopersicon esculentum lectin, whereas alpha-galactosyl residues detected by Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin B4 are expressed only on the thioglycollate-elicited macrophages, indicating that these residues are the major determinants responsible for Mac-2 surface expression. Chemical cross-linking experiments have identified binding of endogenous cell-surface Mac-2 to three glycoproteins of molecular masses of 92, 125, and 180 kDa containing alpha-galactosyl and polylactosamine structures on thioglycollate-elicited macrophages. The restricted cell surface distribution of Mac-2 on thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages, a population of recently recruited monocytes, suggests a role(s) in early events of macrophage infiltration and tissue fixation such as extravasion and cell-matrix interactions.

Initial events of myelination involve Fyn tyrosine kinase signalling

Myelin is the lipoprotein multimembrane that functions as an insulator preventing the flow of ion currents across the axonal membrane and facilitating the conduction of nerve impulses. It is synthesized by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system at about the time of birth in mammals. During the initial stages of myelination, several proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine. Among these proteins, we identified Fyn tyrosine kinase, one of the non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases of the Src family. Here we report that Fyn tyrosine kinase is activated during the initial stages of myelination and that it is associated with the large myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), an adhesion molecule that has been implicated in myelinogenesis. The Fyn-large MAG association requires amino-terminal domains of Fyn that include SH2 and SH3 (Src homology domains 2 and 3). Crosslinking of large MAG with antibody induces a rapid increase in the specific activity of Fyn kinase. These results indicate that Fyn participates in the initial events of myelination as a signalling molecule downstream of large MAG; indeed, we find that fyn-deficient mice exhibit impaired myelination.

Accumulation enhancement of human monoclonal antibody HB4C5 to lung tumor xenografts by N-deglycosylation

The fractional uptake of intact monoclonal antibodies by tumors is relatively low. Various methods to alter the molecular structure have been used to augment tumor uptake. These chemical manipulations, however, may alter the specificity of antibody binding.

METHODS

Comparative studies of biodistribution, radioimmunoimaging and macroautoradiography in LC-6 xenografted mice were conducted with the 125I-labeled intact and N-terminal deglycosylated monoclonal antibodies to evaluate the effect on deglycosylation on antibody binding.

RESULTS

The removal of N-glycosyl residues from this monoclonal antibody significantly enhanced specific localization of the radioactivity to the tumor, especially to its necrotic fraction. Nonspecific accumulation of radioactivity to the necrotic fraction of the tumor was excluded by biodistribution studies demonstrating selective accumulation of 125I-labeled monoclonal antibody after coadministration of 125I-monoclonal antibody (intact or N-deglycosylated) with 131I-labeled control IgM.

CONCLUSION

The lung cancer-associated human monoclonal antibody HB4C5, which recognizes histone H2B as the antigen, accumulates specifically to the necrotic fraction of tumor. The uptake is enhanced by removal of N-terminal glycosyl residues from the antigen-binding site of the light chain.

Transcription of the faoAB operon which encodes the HDT multienzyme complex involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation in Pseudomonas fragi B-0771

Transcription of the two clustered genes, faoA and faoB, for the multienzyme complex for fatty acid beta-oxidation (HDT) from the Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas fragi, was investigated. Northern blot hybridization and primer extension analysis indicated that these genes comprised an operon, giving a 3.6 kb mRNA. Transcription of the 3.6 kb faoAB mRNA was induced by palmitic acid. Using the lacZ gene as a reporter gene for a promoter activity search, the essential region for induction of the faoAB gene transcription by palmitic acid was mapped at the 331 bp region just upstream of the transcription initiation site. Deletion of the 136 bp SalI-NheI fragment just downstream of the transcription initiation site caused the constitutive expression of the faoA-lacZ fusion protein in P. fragi, suggesting that there is a regulatory element interacting with the transcription repressor.

Serum concentration of procollagen type I carboxyterminal propeptide in systemic sclerosis

The serum level of procollagen type I carboxyterminal propeptide (P1CP), which has been used as an index of collagen synthesis in patients with various fibrotic diseases during the active stage, was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 61 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and in 21 control subjects. The mean P1CP level in the SSc patients was significantly higher than in the normal controls (mean +/- SD, 326 +/- 319 vs 128 +/- 87 ng/ml; p < 0.005). In 36% of the SSc patients, the serum P1CP level was significantly elevated more than two standard deviations above the mean control value. The mean serum P1CP level in patients with diffuse SSc was significantly higher than in those with limited SSc (411 +/- 373 vs 255 +/- 199 ng/ml; p < 0.05). In addition, the SSc patients with elevated serum P1CP levels showed a significantly greater incidence of lung fibrosis and joint involvement than those with normal P1CP levels (p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, respectively). These results suggest that the serum P1CP level is a useful indicator of the severity of disease in SSc patients.