Distribution of type II adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the rat brain.

We studied the distribution of type II Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-insensitive adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the adult rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Although type II adenylyl cyclase mRNA was distributed throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the brain, the labeling intensity varied among regions. Strong expression was seen in fairly restricted regions such as CA1 and dentate-gyrus of the hippocampus, some thalamic nuclei, mammillary nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, parabrachial nucleus and locus coeruleus.

Neuropeptide Y innervation in the spinal nucleus of bulbocavernosus of the rat.

Immunoelectron microscopy combined with a retrograde tracing technique was carried out to examine the synaptic interaction between neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactive (LI) axon terminals and spinal motoneurons innervating bulbocavernosus muscles. Cell bodies and proximal dendrites of these motoneurons were frequently found to receive synaptic inputs from NPY-LI axon terminals.

Region-specific expression of subunits of ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPA-type, KA-type and NMDA receptors) in the rat spinal cord with special reference to nociception.

The present study attempted to explore the gene expression of the subunits (GluR1-4) of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type receptor, subunit (GluR5) of kainic acid (KA)-type receptor, NR1 [a subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors] and the possible glutamate-binding subunit of an NMDA receptor complex in the dorsal horn of the rat spinal cords using in situ hybridization histochemistry. These results were compared with those of the spinal motor neurons. Expression of the subunits of the AMPA-type receptor was also examined at the protein level using immunocytochemistry, with reference to the motor neurons.

Distribution of I, II and III subtypes of voltage-sensitive Na+ channel mRNA in the rat brain.

We examined the expression of the I, II and III subtypes of voltage-sensitive Na+ channel mRNA in the rat brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry with oligonucleotide probes. The distribution of cells with strongly positive signals was characteristic for each subtype. Synthesis of each subtype of Na+ channel protein may be regulated by differential mRNA expression.

Impaired water diuresis in a patient with pseudo-Bartter syndrome.

A 32-year-old man was diagnosed as having pseudo-Bartter syndrome due to surreptitious habitual vomiting and to maldigestion related to decayed teeth. His chief complaints were muscle pain and weakness. In this case, metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, increased plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels were noticed with marked decreases in urinary chloride excretion.

Co-expression of glycine receptor beta subunit and GABAA receptor gamma subunit mRNA in the rat dorsal root ganglion cells.

We examined the expression of the beta subunit mRNA of the glycine receptor and the gamma subunit mRNA of the GABAA receptor in the rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) using in situ hybridization histochemistry with oligonucleotide probes. About 44% and 37% of the all DRG neurons were labeled by the probes for glycine receptor beta subunit and GABAA receptor gamma subunit mRNAs. Labeled neurons were mostly large cells that simultaneously expressed both glycine receptor beta subunit and GABAA receptor gamma subunit mRNA as demonstrated using consecutive sections.

[Prognosis of chronic glomerulonephritis--study on renal survival ratio of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis].

Renal survival curves for the adult patients at the ages between 15 and 60 with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MesPGN, N = 366) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN, N = 76) were calculated using the method designed by Kaplan and Meier. In MesPGN, 80% and 68% of the patients survived 10 and 20 years after biopsy respectively; 88% and 72% survived 10 and 20 years after apparent onset. These results were similar to those analyzed by the research team "progressive renal lesions" in Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan.

Progression of experimental focal glomerulosclerosis in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

To study the influence of hypertension on the progression of focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS), we produced an experimental model of FGS in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by the combined administration of puromycinaminonucleoside (AMNS) and protamine sulfate (PS). SHRs and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats as a control strain were given daily injections of subcutaneous AMNS (1 mg/100 gm body weight) and intravenous PS (two separated doses of 2.5 mg/100 mg body weight) for 4 days; they were killed on day 80 after three series of injections at 10-day intervals.

[Clinico-pathological features in four patients with Fabry's disease. The possible role of degenerative lesions in the interstitial vessels in renal dysfunction].

Clinical courses and histopathological changes of four patients with Fabry's disease were discussed in this report. All of them were male and revealed to have angiokeratomas of the skin and markedly decreased activity of alpha-galactosidase--A in leukocytes. They were from different families.

Renal lesions in Cockayne's syndrome.

A nine-year-old boy who exhibited mild proteinuria and severe renal dysfunction with short stature, mental retardation, retinitis pigmentosa, deafness, and intracranial calcification was presented. Clinical features of the patient were in the most part consistent with those of Cockayne's syndrome. On the renal biopsy, two-thirds of the glomeruli had fallen into global sclerosis.

Quantitation of C3 nephritic factor of alternative complement pathway by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantitation of C3 nephritic factor of the alternative pathway of complement (NeFA). Incubation of the NeFA-positive serum (patient KS serum) with normal human serum (NHS) in Mg-EGTA resulted in the formation of C3-B-IgG complex. No complex was formed in EDTA.

Histologic studies on the nephrotic syndrome in the elderly.

Renal histopathology in 87 patients, aged over 60, with nephrotic syndrome were studied. In 57 patients diagnosed as primary glomerular disease, membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) was of the most common histologic type (52.6% of the cases), and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (21.

Dense deposit disease: its possible pathogenesis suggested by an observation of a patient.

A girl, aged 8, was admitted to a hospital in a state of nephrotic syndrome of one year's duration. The renal biopsy showed mesangial and endocapillary proliferations with lobulation. Dense deposit was not demonstrated by electron microscopy, but lamellation of the lamina densa was found in most of the capillary loops.

Changes in distribution of connective tissue components of human placentae with maturation.

The distributional changes of type IV collagen and laminin with normal maturation of human placentae were examined in relation to those of fibronectin by the histochemical methods including immunofluorescence staining. In the early chorionic villi, these components were detected along the trophoblastic basement membrane, around the fetal blood vessels, and in the villous stroma. Laminin was detected also in the pericellular matrices of nonvillous cytotrophoblasts where type IV collagen was rarely detected.

A new and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of C3 nephritic factor.

C3 nephritic factor (C3 NeF) was measured by assessing its capacity to form complex with C3 and B using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Incubation of C3 NeF with normal human serum in the presence of MgEGTA resulted in a dose-dependent increase of C3-B-IgG complex. No complex was formed in EDTA.

Circulating immune complex-like materials which bind to heat inactivated C1q interfere with the C1q solid phase assay for immune complexes.

C1q solid phase assay (C1q SP) was devised based on the fact that immune complexes (IC) and aggregated human globulin (AHG) bind to C1q. Neither IC nor AHG was found to bind to heat inactivated C1q. On the other hand, circulating immune complex (CIC)-like materials in patients' sera were able to bind to heat inactivated C1q, indicating that these CIC-like materials are not true CIC.

Modified anti-C3 immune complex assay which avoids interference by anti-F(ab')2 antibodies.

The present authors and Olds et al. reported that the anti-F(ab')2 antibodies (Abs) in serum interfere with the solid phase (SP) anti-C3 immune complex assay. The anti-F(ab')2 Abs in human sera bind solid phase F(ab')2 anti-C3 of rabbit or goat, and were measured erroneously as C3 bearing circulating immune complexes (CIC).

Distribution of fibronectin and other connective tissue components in human placenta.

Human placenta specimens obtained at term were investigated for distribution of fibronectin, collagens and glycosaminoglycans. When examined by the immunofluorescence staining technique with anti-plasma fibronectin antiserum, fibronectin was shown to be present around the fetal blood vessels and in the stroma of placental villi. The distribution of type IV collagen also was examined with specific antiserum.

The effect of protamine on serum complement activity in aminonucleoside nephropathy.

Combined administration of protamine sulfate (Ps) and aminonucleoside (AN) to rats causes severe nephrotic syndrome and, histologically, focal glomerular sclerosis. These changes are more distinct than those produced by AN alone. While the exact mechanism of Ps acting on AN nephropathy is not known, marked hypocomplementemia was observed regularly after the Ps + AN injection, suggesting that complement is activated and consumed in the kidney.