Purification and characterization of the recombinant human aldose reductase expressed in baculovirus system.

Large quantities of recombinant human aldose reductase were produced using Spodoptera frugiperda cells and properties of the enzyme were characterized. Direct purification of the recombinant aldose reductase by affinity column chromatography using Matrex gel orange A yielded a single 36 kDa band, similar in size to the purified human muscle aldose reductase, on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel after silver staining. The isoelectric point of the recombinant enzyme was 5.

DNA superhelicity affects the formation of transcription preinitiation complex on eukaryotic genes differently.

In vitro transcription was reconstituted with HeLa cell transcription factors and RNA polymerase II, which were essentially free from DNA topoisomerase activities. DNA templates with defined negative superhelical densities were tested for transcription activity. Transcription of the Bombyx mori fibroin gene increases and plateaus from templates of increasing superhelicity, and transcription from the adenovirus 2 major late promoter rises and then falls, while transcription of the Drosophila hsp70 gene remains unchanged.

Migration of a Silastic central venous catheter into the right jugular vein: report of two cases.

Silastic catheters commonly used for total parenteral nutrition have advantages including low rates of infection and thrombosis. However, because of flexibility they produce an unusual problem, catheter tip migration. We present two cases of catheter migration into the right jugular vein.

[MR studies of extension and spread pattern of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Seven patients with T2-T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma were examined by MRI on a 0.5T superconducting system. The obtained MRI images were reviewed focusing on the signal intensity (SI) of tumors, and the extension of tumors into the related spaces from the pharyngeal mucosal space (PMS).

Scopadulciol, an inhibitor of gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase from Scoparia dulcis, and its structure-activity relationships.

A new tetracyclic diterpenoid, scopadulciol [3], together with 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone, glutinol, and acacetin, was isolated from the 70% EtOH extract of Scoparia dulcis collected in Taiwan. Its structure was elucidated to be 6 beta-benzoyl-12-methyl-13-oxo-9(12)a,9(12)b-dihomo-18-podocarpanol on the basis of spectral data. It mildly inhibited hog gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase.

Negative supercoiling of DNA facilitates an interaction between transcription factor IID and the fibroin gene promoter.

Transcription of the fibroin gene can be reconstituted with partially purified components from HeLa cells. Transcription factors IIB, IID, and IIE and RNA polymerase II are required for accurate initiation of transcription. Linear and relaxed closed circular DNA show a similar level of template activity.

Flow cytometric DNA analysis of stage D2 prostatic carcinoma.

Flow cytometric DNA analysis was performed on 34 samples of prostatic carcinoma patients with stage D2 disease to study the relationship between DNA ploidy pattern, Gleason sum score, and prognosis. Nuclei were extracted from paraffin-embedded needle biopsy specimens. The DNA ploidy pattern was diploid in 53% of the tumors, tetraploid in 38%, and aneuploid in 9%.

Hereditary hypotrophic axonopathy with neurofilament deficiency in a mutant strain of the Japanese quail.

A primary axonal disease affecting the central and peripheral nervous system was discovered in a new mutant strain of the Japanese quail, named quiver (Quv). Quv showed significantly smaller cross-sectional areas of the cervical spinal cord and the optic and sciatic nerves, when compared with controls by light microscopic morphometry. In the cervical spinal cord, electron microscopic morphometry indicated that myelinated axons in Quv were significantly smaller in size than in controls, though greater in density.

Induction of fetal malformations after treatment of mouse embryos with methylnitrosourea at the preimplantation stages.

The effects of methylnitrosourea (MNU) on the development of preimplantation mouse embryos were investigated in this study. ICR mice were treated intraperitoneally with single doses of 10, 20, and 30 mg MNU/kg body wt on day 0, 1, 2, or 3 of pregnancy. The uterine contents were examined on day 18 of pregnancy.

Reversible inhibitions of gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase by scopadulcic acid B and diacetyl scopadol. New biochemical tools of H+,K(+)-ATPase.

Scopadulcic acid B (SA-B), a novel diterpenoid, is a main ingredient of the Paraguayan traditional medicinal herb "Typychá kuratú (Scoparia dulcis L.). SA-B and its debenzoyl derivative, diacetyl scopadol (DAS), specifically inhibit ATP hydrolysis of gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase.

[Limitation of experimental infarct size by levo-carnitine chloride (LC-80), a new mitochondrial function-reactivating agent].

The effect of LC-80 on infarct size induced by 6 hr coronary occlusion was studied in anesthetized dogs. LC-80 at a dose of 100 mg/kg, i.v.

Positive results of combined therapy of surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion for far-advanced gastric cancer.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion (IPHP) for far-advanced gastric cancer, particularly with peritoneal seeding, we investigated the survival times of 59 patients who underwent distal subtotal gastrectomy, total gastrectomy, or total gastrectomy combined with concomitant resection of some of the remaining intra-abdominal organs. In all the 30 patients given IPHP, no cancer cells were present posthyperthermically in the lavage from the Douglas pouch. The 30 patients given IPHP lived longer than the 29 patients not given IPHP (p = 0.

Scopadulcic acid B, a new tetracyclic diterpenoid from Scoparia dulcis L. Its structure, H+, K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase inhibitory activity and pharmacokinetic behaviour in rats.

The structure of scopadulcic acid B (2, SDB), a major ingredient of the Paraguayan herb "Typychá kuratũ" (Scoparia dulcis L.), was elucidated mainly by comparison of its spectral data with that of scopadulcic acid A (1). SDB inhibited both the K(+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity of a hog gastric proton pump (H+, K(+)-ATPase) with a value of 20-30 microM for IC50 and proton transport into gastric vesicles.

ST monitoring for myocardial ischemia during and after coronary angioplasty.

We performed 12-lead electrocardiographic monitoring in 97 patients during coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a single vessel to correlate ischemic ST changes with clinical, angiographic and coronary hemodynamic variables and to determine the optimum lead or combination of leads for their detection. Ischemia (chest pain or ST change, group A) occurred in 79 patients (80%), but in only 15 of 23 patients (65%) with collaterals (p less than 0.05).

Estramustine binding protein in human benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) of estramustine binding protein (EMBP) with the antibody raised against rat-EMBP, the concentration of EMBP in human benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) tissue was evaluated. Using mechanical separation procedure, EMBP was found significantly higher in the epithelium (10.7 ng/mg protein) than in the stroma (2.

Capsaicin-sensitive afferents activate a sympathetic intestinointestinal inhibitory reflex in dogs.

1. In urethane-anaesthetized dogs, an intra-arterial infusion of capsaicin (0.7-14 nmol min-1) into a separated jejunal segment inhibited a vagally evoked cholinergic contraction of the other non-infused segments.

Antidromic activation of vagal and sympathetic afferents does not produce intestinal contractions in dogs.

The question has been asked whether vagal and sympathetic afferents activated antidromically play a role as motor nerves on the in vivo small intestine in dogs anesthetized with urethane. The vagus nerve of one side was cut above the nodose ganglion and the efferent fibers allowed to degenerate. Peripheral stimulation (5-50 Hz, 0.

Anaesthesia, not surgical stress, induces increases in serum concentrations of reverse triiodothyronine and thyroxine during surgery.

Effects of anaesthesia on serum concentrations of thyroid hormones during and soon after abdominal surgery were examined in 29 patients undergoing cholecystectomy (n = 22) or removal of gastric cancer (n = 7). They were given one of the following anaesthetics in combination with nitrous oxide in oxygen: epidural bupivacaine, enflurane, pentazocine, ketamine, halothane, epidural bupivacaine and enflurane. Regardless of type of anaesthesia, T3 decreased significantly during and after surgery.

Regulation of bile duct motility by vagus and sympathetic nerves in the pigeon.

Effects of stimulation of the vagus and sympathetic nerves on bile duct peristalses were studied in pigeons anesthetized with urethane. Vagus stimulation increased the frequency of peristalses. Atropine, hexamethonium and tetrodotoxin abolished this excitatory effect.

Slow hyperpolarizing action of tryptamine on myenteric neurons of the isolated guinea-pig ileum.

In the present study, tryptamine produced a slow hyperpolarization in a few neurons other than a slow depolarization in myenteric neurons of the isolated guinea-pig ileum. Neither the adrenergic neuron blocker, guanethidine nor the 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor, zimelidine, which can inhibit the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine from enteric neurites induced by tryptamine (M. Takaki et al.

[Study on high temperature oxidation of Ni-Cr ceramic alloys. Effects of Cr and Mo].

The effects of Cr and Mo addition to Ni-Cr alloys on high temperature oxidation were investigated. The alloys were prepared with the composition of Cr ranging from 5 to 40 wt%. Also 2, 4 and 9 wt% of Mo was added to both Ni-5% Cr and Ni-20% Cr binary alloys.

Influence of sinus impulses on the parasystolic cycle length.

Recently, it has been shown that in most clinical cases of parasystole, the parasystolic rhythm is not completely independent of the sinus rhythm. In this study, to disclose the mechanism of such "irregular" parasystole, parasystolic cycles with an intervening sinus QRS complex (XSX) were compared with their immediately adjacent pure parasystolic cycles without any intervening nonparasystolic QRS complexes (XX) in 10 cases of ventricular parasystole. In eight cases, the XSX interval was equal to or nearly equal to the adjacent pure XX interval; in one, the XSX interval was shorter than the XX interval; and in only one, the XSX interval was longer than the XX interval.

Diagnostic value of QRST isointegral maps in detecting myocardial infarction complicated by bundle branch block.

The clinical usefulness of QRST isointegral maps (IQRST map) for detecting myocardial infarction that was complicated by intraventricular conduction disturbances was evaluated in patients with right bundle branch block (group RBBB, 64 patients) and left bundle branch block (group LBBB, 40 patients) by comparison with the normal mean IQRST map derived from 50 normal subjects. Myocardial infarction complicated the conduction disturbances in 24 of the 64 RBBB and in 18 of the 40 LBBB patients. A correlation coefficient was used for assessing the similarity of each map pattern with the normal mean IQRST map.

Potential thrombolysis under selective infusion of autologous plasmin (AP) solution.

Thrombolytic therapy with plasminogen activators, urokinase (UK) and streptokinase (SK), can produce serious complications such as systemic bleeding. We have developed an autologous plasmin (AP) solution as a new potential thrombolytic agent and evaluated its efficacy in animal experiments. The AP solution was prepared by the addition of UK to autologous plasma separated by centrifugation (4 degrees C, 3,000 rpm, 10 min).