Decreases in Ikaros activity correlate with blast crisis in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Gene targeting studies in mice have shown that the lack of Ikaros activity leads to T-cell hyperproliferation and T-cell neoplasia, establishing the Ikaros gene as a tumor suppressor gene in mice. This prompted us to investigate whether mutations in Ikaros play a role in human hematological malignancies. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to determine the relative expression levels of Ikaros isoforms in a panel of human leukemia/lymphoma cell lines and human bone marrow samples from patients with hematological malignancies.

Molecular characterization of total kininogen deficiency in Japanese patients.

Kininogens are multifunctional plasma glycoproteins. There are two forms of human kininogen: low molecular weight kininogen (LK) and high molecular weight kininogen (HK). Both are derived from the same gene by alternative splicing.

Social disclosure among coworkers without disabilities in supported employment settings.

The depth and breadth of reported self-disclosure by workers without disabilities (respondents) for three types of coworkers (i.e., work acquaintances, work friends, and social friends) were assessed.

Insular cortical projections to functional regions of the striatum correlate with cortical cytoarchitectonic organization in the primate.

We examined the striatal projections from different cytoarchitectonic regions of the insular cortex using anterograde and retrograde techniques. The shell and medial ventral striatum receive inputs primarily from the agranular and ventral dysgranular insula. The central ventral striatum receives inputs primarily from the dorsal agranular and dysgranular insula.

Enhancement of Escherichia coli H(+)-ATPase caused by binding of monoclonal antibodies is attributed to structural changes of Leu-456 and Ser-440 in the alpha subunit.

Five monoclonal antibodies against the alpha subunit of F1-ATPase from Escherichia coli alpha 104, alpha 105, alpha 107, alpha 109, and alpha 110 were prepared. The monoclonal antibodies alpha 104 and alpha 110 enhanced the F1-ATPase activity maximally to 1.6- and 1.

Development of an experimental model of an acute respiratory failure by intratracheal sea water infusion: a comparison with a conventional oleic acid induction.

An experimental model of acute respiratory failure (ARF) was successfully developed in dogs by endotracheal sea water infusion. Serial changes in blood gases and hemodynamics, and histological changes in the lungs after use of this method were compared with those of the conventional model induced by oleic acid, and the following results were observed. Blood gases deteriorated more rapidly after sea water than after oleic acid, while the changes caused by oleic acid progressed with time, and those caused by sea water did not.

Detection of bcl-2 protein and bcl-2 messenger RNA in normal and neoplastic lymphoid tissues by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

bcl-2 protein has been detected in surgical specimens and cultured permanent cell lines of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and leukemias using enzyme immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence with anti-bcl-2 monoclonal antibodies. Of 40 surgical specimens, bcl-2 protein was expressed in 50% of B-cell and 41% of T-cell lymphomas, both with and without the bcl-2 gene rearrangement. In investigations of 38 hematopoietic cell lines, bcl-2 protein was detected not only in lymphoid cell lines but also in myeloid cell lines.

Effects of isoflurane and halothane on the calcium ion-tension curve in rat myocardium.

In order to clarify the interaction of volatile anesthetics and extracellular calcium ion on the myocardial contraction, effects of both isoflurane (1.0%) and halothane (0.5%) on the extracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca(2+)](O))-tension curve were studied.

Frequency- and length-dependent tension development in rat heart muscles exposed to isoflurane and halothane.

Using 22 isolated rat ventricular muscle preparations, we investigated whether or not the increase in preload and/or contraction frequency may counteract the negative inotropy of both isoflurane (2.0%) and halothane (1.0%).

A hepatoportal osmoreceptive afferent projection from nucleus tractus solitarius to caudal ventrolateral medulla.

This study was performed to examine projection of nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) neurons to the caudal ventrolateral medulla (cVLM) in rats. One hundred and seven neurons that responded antidromically to electrical stimulation of the cVLM were recorded within the NTS. Electrical stimulation of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve (hepatic vagus) elicited facilitation on 62 neurons (facilitatory neurons) and suppression on 6 neurons (suppressed neurons).

An enormous shunt between the portal and hepatic veins associated with multiple coronary artery fistulas.

A 9-year-old boy with a rare combination of multiple coronary artery fistulas and congenital shunt between the portal and hepatic veins (portal-systemic shunt) is presented. The most likely pathogenesis for the portal-systemic shunt in this case was persistence of the ductus venosus as a bypass tract of the portal vein. This shunt is considered as one cause of cardiomegaly and dilatation of the hepatic vein in this case, and careful follow-up is mandatory because this shunt could induce portal-systemic encephalopathy.

Hyperthermic enhancement of the antitumor effect of natural human tumor necrosis factor-alpha and -beta: an in vitro and in vivo study.

A synergistic antitumor effect of natural human tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta) in combination with hyperthermia was found, in comparison with that of TNF-alpha, using an in vitro antiproliferative assay on a human colon cancer cell line (RPMI4788) and an in vivo tumor growth inhibition assay on Meth A sarcoma cells. In vitro combined treatment with TNF-beta (10,000 U/ml) and hyperthermia (at 43 degrees for 60 min) synergistically inhibited the proliferation of the cells. Combined effects of TNF-alpha or natural human interferon-alpha or -gamma (IFN-alpha, -gamma) and hyperthermia were also examined, and furthermore, the combinations of TNFs and IFNs were examined in combination with hyperthermia at 42 degrees; their antiproliferative effects were further augmented by hyperthermia.

A direct hepatic osmoreceptive afferent projection from nucleus tractus solitarius to dorsal hypothalamus.

Thirty units that responded antidromically to electrical stimulation of the zona incerta (ZI) or the dorsal portion of hypothalamus were recorded in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). These units were analyzed in relation to hepatoportal afferent inputs. Electrical stimulation of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve facilitated six units (facilitatory units) and suppressed 10 units (suppressed units).

Synergistic effect of natural human tumor necrosis factors alpha and beta in the clonogenic assay.

We tested the antiproliferative effect induced by the natural human tumor necrosis factors alpha and beta (nHuTNF-alpha, -beta) or a combination of these in the clonogenic assay. The antiproliferative effects were evaluated by examining the inhibition of clonogenic growth of RPMI-4788 cells, which had been established from a human colon cancer. TNF-alpha and -beta were natural human types produced by a B cell leukemia line (BALL-1 cells) and were both over 99% pure.