[Biological specificity of the neonate and infant heart, with reference to selenium and glutathione peroxidase--the study to clarify the cause of vulnerability of neonate and infant heart].

Selenium (Se) is known to be an integral part in glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx). There are some reports serum Se levels are lower in infants than in adults and GSHPx activity is parallel to Se levels. There may be reasons why myocardial reperfusion injury occurs more easily in infants than in adults by reperfusion of ischemic myocardium.

Terminal differentiation of yolk-sac erythroid cells of the Syrian hamster in vitro.

The developmental fate of Syrian hamster yolk-sac (primitive) erythroid cells was examined in vitro. Highly purified yolk-sac erythroid cells at the polychromatophilic stage, obtained from the peripheral blood of embryos at day 10 of gestation, showed morphological and biochemical changes in our modified semi-solid culture system. Several morphological changes observed in the primitive erythroid cell cultures, such as nuclear condensation, approach of nuclei to the periphery of cells, development by cells of an extended pear-like shape, enucleation, and an increase in haemoglobin content, were quite similar to those of the terminal differentiation of fetal liver or adult bone marrow (definitive) erythroid cells.

[A case report of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm associated with anterior spinal artery syndrome despite no marked ESP changes].

A 67-year-old man underwent graft replacement for the descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with the aid of temporary external bypass. Intraoperative evoked spinal potentials (ESPs) were monitored to detect the spinal cord ischemia. Incomplete paraplegia with sensory dissociation was developed in this patient after surgery, despite well maintained ESPs throughout the aortic cross-clamping.

[A case of infective endocarditis with hemorrhagic fibrinous pericarditis].

A case of infective endocarditis which was complicated with hemorrhagic fibrinous pericarditis was reported. The hemorrhagic fibrinous pericarditis is a rare complication of infective endocarditis of the aortic root and is observed massive hemorrhage into the pericardial space. These patients should be considered for the aortic valve replacement early in the course of the disease.

[Effect of maternally derived antibody levels on antibody responses to canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus and infectious canine hepatitis virus after vaccinations in beagle puppies].

Antibody titers against canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV) and infectious canine hepatitis virus (ICHV) in serum were measured in 6 beagle dams and their 38 puppies bred in our colony, in order to clarify the effects of maternally derived antibodies to antibody responses against the viruses after vaccinations in puppies. Correlation coefficient on antibody titers between puppies and dams were CPV: r = 0. 7935, CDV: r = 0.

Morphological observations of the apical surface of chick retinal pigment epithelium.

Chick embryonic retina was examined in order to investigate morphological changes of the apical portion of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Whole retina and RPE sheets were observed by fluorescence microscopy (rhodamine-phalloidin preparation) and transmission electron microscopy. Photoreceptor cells had no inner and outer segments on the 8th day in ovo.

Separation of polypeptides which induce a mitogen response of thymocytes from the culture supernatant of a thymic epithelial cell line.

To examine thymic hormonal factors, four polypeptide fractions (estimated molecular weight: I, 10 K; II, 7 K; III, 3 K; IV, 2.5 K) were separated from the culture supernatant of a rat thymic epithelial cell line by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a gel-filtration column. The effects of the fractions on response to mitogens of three small-lymphocyte subsets were studied.

Fluctuations in peripheral serum testosterone levels within a day, with age and by sexual stimulation in male beagle dogs bred indoors.

Fluctuations in serum levels of testosterone (T) within a day, both with age and as a result of sexual stimulation, were examined in male beagle dogs. Eighty male dogs aged between 3 months and 16 years and bred in our laboratory were used under strictly controlled breeding conditions (temperature: 22 +/- 1 degree C, relative humidity: 55 +/- 5%, lighting time: 8:00 a.m.

Acromegaly and hyperthyroidism associated with McCune-Albright syndrome.

A 36-year-old man is described having McCune-Albright syndrome, acromegaly likely due to somatotroph hyperplasia and hyperthyroidism due to adenomatous goiter. Sexual precocity was not noted. The sella was narrow in size and no mass was seen.

Congenital stationary night blindness with myopia: a clinico-pathologic study.

The left eye of a 77 year old male patient was enucleated because of absolute glaucoma. This eye showed subnormal electroretinogram (ERG) and oscillatory potentials preoperatively, but the other eye showed Schubert-Bornschein type ERG and monophasic dark adaptation curve. Light and electron microscopic studies of the left eye showed a normal arrangement of discs of rod outer segments, normal synaptic ends of the photoreceptors, and complete loss of ganglion cells.

Induction and modification of erythropoiesis in a suspension culture system derived from long-term bone marrow culture of Syrian hamster.

Cells in a subculture system derived from long-term hamster bone marrow culture were induced to differentiate into hemoglobin-producing cells in response to added erythropoietin. Treatment of the subculture with dimethyl sulfoxide or other 'Friend inducers' but not 5-azacytidine effected no remarkable induction, though they enhanced the effect of externally added erythropoietin. 3-Aminobenzamide, a weak inducer of Friend cell differentiation [Morioka, K.

Early changes in ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamines during erythroid differentiation of Friend leukemia cells.

Induction of cytosolic L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in cultures of Friend erythroleukemia cells by seeding in fresh medium was suppressed by treatment with several differentiation inducers. The levels of suppression after 3 h treatment were about 60% at 20 mM nicotinamide, 30% at 1.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and 20% at 5 mM hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA).

Acceptors of poly(ADP-ribosylation) in differentiation inducer-treated and untreated Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Acceptors of poly(ADP-ribosylation) were identified and compared between inducer-treated and untreated Friend erythroleukemia cells. When permeabilized Friend cells were pulse labeled with 0.6 microM [32P]NAD for 1 min and labeled proteins analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, nucleosome core histones were found to be the primary acceptors, with an additional minor radioactive peak at a position corresponding to Mr = 170 000.

Novel Inducers and Inhibitors of Differentiation of Friend Erythroleukemia Cells: Application of an Opal Glass Transmission Method to Study of Erythroid Differentiation: (erythroid differentiation/poly(ADP-ribose)/bile acids/opal glass method/Friend leukemia cells).

The potencies of poly(ADP-ribosylation)-inhibitors in inducing erythroid differentiation of Friend erythroleukemia cells were surveyed. Picolinamide and m-aminobenzamide were newly found to be inducers, whereas compounds related caffeine did not induce differentiation. In other series of experiments some bile acids suspected of being tumor promoters were found to inhibit the differentiation like typical tumor promoters such as phorbol esters.

Comparison of nuclear proteins of differentiation-induced and uninduced Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Nuclear non-histone protein content decreased to about 50% during the course of differentiation of Friend cells (Morioka, K., Tanaka K, & Ono, T. (1980) J.

Hydrolysis of ATP in chemical models.

Hydrolysis of ATP was found to be accelerated by the addition of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). The high acceleration was observed in the concentration below rather than above the critical micell concentration of CTAC. The catalytic effect was observed at pH's 5 and 8, while not significantly at pH 3.

Poly(ADP-ribose) and differentiation of Friend Erythroleukemia cells. Restriction of the chain lenght.

1. Poly(ADP-ribose) synthesized in nuclei isolated from Friend erythroleukemic cells was characterized. Although the activity of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis of cells induced to differentiate was suppressed to about one-third of that of uninduced cells, the chain length were identical, and were clearly restricted within a narrow band in polyacrylamide gels, moving at about half the speed of bromphenol blue.