Structural features of a polygalacturonase gene cloned from Aspergillus oryzae KBN616.

A genomic gene encoding a polygalacturonase from Aspergillus oryzae, used in soy sauce production, was cloned and sequenced. The structural gene comprises 1227 bp coding for 363 amino acids with a putative prepropeptide of 28 amino acids and the open reading frame is disrupted by two short introns of 57 bp and 81 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein showed 63, 63, 63 and 64% homology with those of Aspergillus niger polygalacturonase I, Aspergillus niger polygalacturonase II, Aspergillus tubingensis polygalacturonase II and Cochliobolus carbonum polygalacturonase, respectively.

Immunochemical detection of GTP-binding protein in cephalopod photoreceptors by anti-peptide antibodies.

We prepared polyclonal antibodies (Pab) against the following peptides: partial sequences of bovine transducin alpha subunit including the ADP-ribosylation sites sensitive to cholera toxin (CTX) and pertussis toxin (PTX) and the N-terminus of Drosophila GTP-binding protein q alpha (DGqN); Pab CTX, Pab PTX and Pab DGqN, respectively. These antibodies were specific to the peptides used as antigen and no crossreactivity was observed. Pab CTX and Pab PTX reacted with bovine transducin alpha subunit and the reactivity was lost by preincubation with the specific antigen peptide.

[The effect of LDL-apheresis on the long-term prognosis of hypercholesterolemic patients with coronary artery bypass grafts: a multicenter study].

Hypercholesterolemia is well known as a risk factor which had been shown to affect the long-term prognosis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The data were collected from multi-institutions documenting the long-term results of CABG in 61 hypercholesterolemic patients who received LDL-apheresis. Mean post-CABG period was 50 +/- 34 (+/- SD) months.

[Mitral valve surgery for patients after undergoing percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC)--investigation on indication of PTMC based on the intraoperative findings].

Ten patients underwent open heart surgery for mitral valve after PTMC because of post PTMC MS (n = 4) and MR (n = 6) out of 150 patients undergoing PTMC in our hospital between June 1987 and October 1991. Intraoperative findings of 4 patients with residual mitral stenosis included severe thickening, stiffening and calcification on anterior and posterior leaflets, commissures and subvalvular apparatus. Mitral valve repair was possible in 2 and mitral valve replacement (MVR) was necessary in the other 2.

[Initial and follow-up results of PTCA and PTMC].

On the bases of the initial and follow-up results of patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC), the proper applications of these interventional therapies were discussed. The efficacy of PTMC on valvotomy was comparable to open mitral commissurotomy and the procedural safety was noticed. Our results supported the use of PTMC for patients with plicable mitral valve.

[A case report of spinal epidural hematoma complicated after open heart surgery].

The authors reported the first case of acute spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) developed after open heart surgery. The patient was noticed that her legs felt weak and numb on the first postoperative day evening. On the next day morning, neurological examination revealed that flaccid paralysis of both legs and also loss of all sensory perception below the level of Th-6 spine bilaterally.

An orange-shaped aortic root aneurysm in aortitis syndrome with severe aortic regurgitation.

A 57-year-old man, who had undergone aorto-coronary bypass surgery 4 years before when the shape of the ascending aorta had been normal, had a unique orange-shaped aortic root aneurysm associated with severe aortic regurgitation and congestive heart failure. Replacement of the aneurysm and the aortic valve was successfully carried out, and histopathological examination revealed that the aneurysm was caused by aortitis syndrome.

Effects of intraaortic balloon pumping on mitral flow dynamics in patients with coronary artery bypass operations.

We evaluated the improvement in left ventricular function in 26 patients after coronary artery bypass grafting who were treated with intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP). Mitral flow velocity-time integral in the rapid filling phase (IntR) and that in the atrial contraction phase (IntA), the sum of IntR and IntA (IntR+IntA), and the ratio of IntA to IntR (IntA/IntR) were calculated with patients on and off balloon pumping (IABP ON-OFF test). IABP increased IntR and IntR+IntA, decreased IntA/IntR, and did not change IntA, suggesting that a decreased afterload or augmented coronary perfusion improves left ventricular relaxation.

[Long-term follow-up of exercise tolerance after coronary bypass grafting].

Six hundred forty-eight serial graded exercise tests were performed on 400 patients up to 10 years after coronary bypass graftings (CABG). The maximal attained exercise tolerance, over 10 METS, were observed in 60% of patients and the negative response to exercise test in 43% of patients. The positive response in various parameters were observed at the following rates: graft occlusion-30% vs graft patent-46% (p less than 0.

The absorbance spectrum and photosensitivity of a new synthetic "visual pigment" based on 4-hydroxyretinal.

The firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans, is the only animal known to possess a visual pigment in which the chromophore is 4-hydroxyretinal. This paper describes the absorbance spectrum and some properties of a synthetic "A4" visual pigment generated from bovine opsin and 4-hydroxyretinal. The absorbance spectrum of this pigment is compared with (a) bovine rhodopsin and (b) a rhodopsin template with the same lambda max as the synthetic visual pigment.

[Surgical decisions for active infective endocarditis in patients with acute neurological complications].

The surgical management of 7 patients with active infective endocarditis and recent (within 16 days) neurological injury was presented. All patients had preoperative computed tomographic scans which revealed no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage and underwent successful corrective cardiac surgery. In the early postoperative period, 4 patients died of cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or progression of cerebral edema.

Effects of volatile anesthetics on bacteriorhodopsin in purple membrane, Halobacterium halobium cells and reconstituted vesicles.

In this study, we have investigated effects of volatile anesthetics on absorption spectra, proton pumping activity and decay of photointermediate M of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) in differently aggregated states. Anesthetics used in this study are ether-type general anesthetics; enflurane and sevoflurane. The observed effects on bR depend not only on variety or concentration of anesthetics but also strongly on the aggregation state of bR molecules in the membrane.

[Invasive treatment in patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting].

In eight hundred eighty three patients with prior coronary bypass grafting (CABG), cardiac symptoms were recurred in 179 patients in late follow-up period (mean 5 +/- 2.8 years). Of 179 patients, 43 patients had PTCA eventually.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery--early and follow-up clinical results.

To evaluate the efficacies of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for angina pectoris, early and follow-up data were reviewed in 495 patients who had undergone these procedures from 1986 to 1988. In 173 patients with single vessel disease, there were no significant differences in initial success rate and early and late incidences of major complications or cardiac death between 152 patients with elective PTCA and 21 with urgent. When compared in 161 patients with multivessel disease, however, significant differences in success rate were found between 130 patients in the elective PTCA group and 31 in whom PTCA was urgent (81.

[Long-term follow-up results on Bentall's and our modified procedure].

Replacement of the ascending aorta and the aortic valve with composite graft, including reimplantation of coronary ostia, were performed in 84 patients from October, 1978 to December, 1989. Annuloaortic ectasia was the most common indication for surgery (76 patients). Thirty patients (36%) had the Marfan syndrome.

Practical assessment of natural heart function using echocardiography in mechanically assisted patients.

Left ventricular assist systems (LVAS) can maintain the systemic circulation of patients with acute, profound heart failure. The assessment of natural heart (NH) function, however, is difficult in the clinical setting. The authors introduced a new index, heart rate-corrected ejection time/left atrial pressure (ETc/LAP) using echocardiography to evaluate NH function in 15 adult patients on the original LVAS for greater than 2 days.

Conformation changes of cuttlefish (Euprymna morsei) rhodopsin following photoconversion.

Cuttlefish (Euprymna morsei) rhodopsin solubilized in lauryl ester of sucrose and its photoproduct, acid metarhodopsin, were examined by small-angle X-ray scattering and chromatofocusing to investigate the conformation changes of visual pigment following photoconversion. From spectroscopic studies, it was found that more than 93% of Euprymna rhodopsin could be converted to meta form under the condition of red light irradiation at neutral pH. Since almost pure acid metarhodopsin solution was prepared without changing the specimen concentration, the small-angle X-ray scattering intensities of both pigment-detergent complexes were directly compared.

Recurrent epicardial fibrosarcoma which arose 12 years after the first resection.

Primary malignant tumours of the heart are very rare, with an incidence of only 0.0017%-0.03% in consecutive autopsy series.

[Influences of intra-aortic balloon pumping on peripheral hemodynamics].

The influences of intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) on peripheral dynamics were assessed by Doppler echocardiography. The subjects were 20 patients requiring IABP support, postoperatively, to control low cardiac output state. The flow velocity integral in systole (Int S) and that in diastole (Int D) were measured from left common carotid, superior mesenteric, and terminal aortic flow pattern, and the sum of Int S and Int D (Int S + Int D) was calculated with and without balloon pumping.

[Medical therapy in patients with left main coronary artery stenosis].

To elucidate the long-term prognosis of medically-treated patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions, 119 consecutive patients with LMCA lesions undergoing coronary angiography were analyzed retrospectively. Among these, 3 patients died soon after angiography and were excluded from this study. Among the remaining 116 patients, 22 were treated medically (Group M) for the following reasons: profound left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (3 patients), effective pharmacological treatment (10), and patients' refusal of surgical therapy (9).

Light-induced, GTP-binding protein mediated membrane currents of Xenopus oocytes injected with rhodopsin of cephalopods.

Xenopus oocytes that were injected with rhabdomeric membranes of squid and octopus photoreceptors acquired light sensitivity. The injected oocytes showed a light-induced current having characteristics similar to other G-protein-mediated Cl- currents induced by the activation of other membrane receptors. Pretreatment of the oocytes with pertussis toxin before the injection suppressed the generation of the light-induced current, indicating an ability of cephalopod rhodopsin to cross-react with an endogenous G-protein of Xenopus oocytes.

[Emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for complications of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)].

Eighteen cases of emergency coronary artery bypass for complications of PTCA were carried out. Nine cases were in cardiogenic shock, and 3 cases of them died. All these 3 cases had acute occlusion of donor arteries for jeopardized collaterals.