A case of expressive-vocal amusia in a right-handed patient with left hemispheric cerebral infarction.

A 53-year-old right-handed woman had an extensive lesion in the left hemisphere due to an infarction caused by vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid bleeding. She exhibited persistent expressive-vocal amusia with no symptoms of aphasia. Evaluation of the patient's musical competence using the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia, rhythm reproduction tests, acoustic analysis of pitch upon singing familiar music, Japanese standard language tests, and other detailed clinical examinations revealed that her amusia was more dominantly related to pitch production.

Synthesis and evaluation of glucocerebrosidase inhibitory activity of anhydro deoxyinositols from (+)-epi- and (-)-vibo-quercitols.

Twelve 1,2- and 2,3-anhydro-1,2,3,4,5-cyclohexanepentols were synthesized from (+)-epi- and (-)-vibo-quercitols, readily available by bioconversion of myo-inositol, and assayed for inhibitory activity against glucocerebrosidase (mouse liver). Among them 1L-1,2-anhydro-1,2,4/3,5-cyclohexanepentol, the 3-deoxy derivative of the irreversible inhibitor conduritol B epoxide (CBE), has been demonstrated to be a highly potent and specific inhibitor, almost comparable to the parent compound.

Establishment and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to carbohydrate antigens on peanut agglutinin receptor glycoprotein of gastric cancer KATO-III.

Eight mouse monoclonal antibodies, GOM-1, GOM-2, GOM-3, GOM-5, GOM-6, GOM-7, GOM-8 and GOM-9 were established that recognized carbohydrate antigens on the human gastric cancer cell line KATO-III. Their binding specificities were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cellular enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry analysis and thin layer chromatography immunostaining. All these monoclonal antibodies bound to peanut agglutinin receptor glycoproteins and neutral glycolipids extracted from KATO-III cells, but they could be divided into three groups, namely GOM-1, -3, -9 group, GOM-5 and GOM-2, -6, -7, -8 group.

Monoclonal antibody GOM-2 binds to blood group B-Le(y) active glycolipid antigens on human gastric cancer cells, KATO-III.

The antigen structure of a mouse monoclonal antibody, GOM-2, established by immunization with KATO-III human gastric cancer cells, was examined. GOM-2 reactive glycolipids were prepared from KATO-III cells and treated with endoglycoceramidase. Structural studies of ten GOM-2 reactive oligosaccharides by a combination of glycosidase digestions, methylation, and affinity chromatography on an Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) column revealed that nine of them had a Y-related B-active difucosylated determinant (B-Le(y)) and one had a B-active determinant.

Novel inhibitors of superoxide anion generation, OPC-15160 and OPC-15161. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, physico-chemical properties, biological characteristics and structure determination.

A new inhibitor of superoxide anion generation by guinea pig macrophages, OPC-15160, was isolated from the culture broth of fungus Thielavia minor OFR-1561, and a more potent inhibitor, OPC-15161, was obtained as a major degradation product of OPC-15160. OPC-15161 was five times more active than the natural inhibitor and its IC50 value was 2.8 x 10(-5) M.