[Antigen-induced dynamic alterations of endothelin receptors--guinea pig lung tissues].

Endothelins (ETs) are a family of peptides with potent constrictive activity in vascular and treacheal smooth muscle. The lung tissues are abundant in these peptides and their receptors; the peptides are produced by endothelial cells and airway epithelial cells, while its receptor is mainly located on smooth muscle. Therefore, it has been proposed that endothelins act in a paracrine fashion on nearby smooth muscle, thus regulating its tone.

Inhibitory effect of beraprost sodium on formation of lipid peroxides in ischemia and recirculation-induced cerebral injury.

A cerebral injury was induced by the bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and recirculation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Employing this ischemia-recirculation rat model, the effects of beraprost sodium (beraprost) on (1) lipid peroxide formation, (2) the increase in the brain water content and (3) neurological signs were examined. In a dosage of 25 micrograms kg-1 or higher, beraprost, administered orally, significantly inhibited the formation of lipid peroxides in the brain and serum induced by cerebral ischemia and subsequent recirculation in a dose-dependent manner.

[Enkephalinase activity in the guinea pig model of asthma].

Enkephalinase exists in airway epithelial cells, smooth muscle, and submucosa near glands, and cleaves tachykinins to inactive metabolites, thereby reducing there effects. To study the role of enkephalinase in asthmatic response, we measured its activity in guinea pig model of asthma. When compared with the control values, the enkephalinase activity was reduced during in immediate asthmatic response (IAR) and late asthmatic response (LAR).

[Effect of enkephalinase inhibitor on endothelin-1 induced bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs].

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is one of the most potent bronchoconstrictors in the guinea pig. The mechanism of its metabolism is still unclear. Phosphoramidon is known to be an enkephalinase inhibitor.

Nor-binaltorphimine: a potent and selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist with long-lasting activity in vivo.

The kappa-receptor selectivity of nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI), a highly selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist in vitro, was examined in vivo by measuring the time course of the antagonistic action of nor-BNI (5 and 20 mg/kg, s.c.) against the responses to U-50488H (10 mg/kg, s.

[Endothelin-1 induced relaxation of guinea pig trachea after an anaphylactic reaction].

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), one of the most potent constrictors of airway smooth muscles, is reported to act on such inflammatory cells as mast cells and release several chemical mediators. We observed a transient relaxation response to ET-1 after an anaphylactic constriction of guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle. The guinea pig was actively sensitized with ovalbumin, and the tracheal strip was challenged with ovalbumin in vitro.

Diagnostic significance of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in biochemical tests with special reference of chronic liver diseases.

To assess the degree of the differential ability of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity as compared with 13 conventional biochemical tests, we studied 76 healthy subjects and 107 patients with chronic liver diseases. It was found that the mean values of serum ACE activity were significantly different between the healthy group and groups with liver disease. According to discriminant function analysis, the diagnostic accuracy reached 82.

[A case of human tail].

A human tail is a rare anatomical curiosity. A case of a human tail associated with lipomyelomeningocele is reported. The made subject was born, by breech delivery, at the 39th-week with a 3,008 g body weight.

[Cardiovascular effects of beraprost sodium (TRK-100), a prostacyclin analogue in the dog].

Effect of prostacyclin analogue, beraprost sodium (Sodium (+/-)-(1R*, 2R*, 3aS*, 8bS*)-2, 3,3a,8b-tetrahydro-2-hydroxy-1-[(E)-(3S*)-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-1-octen+ ++-6- ynyl]-1H-cyclopenta-[b]benzofuran-5-butyrate, TRK-100), on the cardiovascular system of the anesthetized dog was investigated. TRK-100 was injected intra-arterially and intravenously to study the vasodilating effect of the drug by a magnetic flow meter. Intra-arterial injection of TRK-100 augmented blood flow of vertebral, coronary, renal, supramesenteric, hepatic and femoral artery at a dose range of 0.

Effect of beraprost sodium on peripheral circulatory disturbances induced by various stimuli.

Effects of beraprost sodium (sodium(+/-)-(1R*,2R*,3aS*,8bS*)-2,3,3a,8b-tetrahydro-2-hydr oxy-1- [(E)-(3S*)-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-octen-6-ynyl]-1H-cyclopenta[b] benzofuran- 5-butyrate, TRK-100), a stable prostacyclin analogue, on the peripheral circulatory disturbances induced by various vasoconstrictive stimuli were studied. Orally administered beraprost sodium (10, 30 micrograms/kg) caused increase in skin blood flow in anesthetized rats and rise in skin temperature in conscious rats. Intravenously administered beraprost sodium (0.

Electrophysiological demonstration of anterograde concealed conduction in accessory atrioventricular pathways capable only of retrograde conduction.

Anterograde concealed conduction into the concealed accessory atrioventricular (AV) pathway has been postulated to be one of the factors preventing the reciprocating process via the accessory pathway in patients with the concealed Wolff-Parkinson-White(WPW) syndrome but its presence has not been documented. To demonstrate the occurrence of anterograde concealment, 12 patients with the concealed WPW syndrome were selected for study. A pacing protocol was designed in which the retrograde conduction of the ventricular extrastimulus over the accessory pathway was assessed during ventricular pacing alone (conventional method) and during the AV simultaneous pacing (simultaneous method); the results were then compared.

Toxoplasma gondii: a simple method for titration of infectivity with monolayer cells.

A simple method for assessing the infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii using primary cultured monolayer cells has been devised. Statistic analysis important for interpreting the results of such experimentation was made. In this method, the number of intracellular toxoplasmas and the percentage of confluency of the monolayer were measured.

Auditory postauricular responses in patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy.

Auditory postauricular response (PAR) was determined in 52 subjects with normal hearing and 83 patients with unilateral peripheral facial nerve palsy. PAR was induced bilaterally by bilateral aural stimulation in 50 (96%) of the 52 subjects. Determination of PAR in the 83 patients disclosed that the prognosis was significantly (p less than 0.

[Plasma bradykinin concentration in patients with cardiovascular diseases].

The present study was undertaken to quantify the circulating kinins in patients with various cardiovascular diseases using a newly developed radioimmunoassay technique and to evaluate this method in terms of its clinical application. For the determination of bradykinin (BK), this assay uses a rabbit anti-serum which has been injected with kallidin. This assay shows good specific activity, recovery and reproducibility.