Rehabilitation of spinal cord injury in the national rehabilitation center for the disabled of Japan: profile of a spinal service.

The National Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled (hereunder abbreviated NRC) in Japan was established in 1979. It consists of four divisions: the hospital, the rehabilitation training center, the research institute, and the information service section. The spinal unit has been functioning and cooperating corelatively with all of these divisions. There were 1047 patients with a spinal cord injury treated in the 15 years from September, 1980 to August, 1994; consisting of 924 males (88.3%), and 123 females (11.7%). The breakdown of causes of injury were traffic accidents 44.9%, having a fall 14.7%, sports accidents 6.7%, and other causes of spinal paralysis 10.5%. The sites of the spinal cord lesions were cervical 372 (35.5%), thoracic 547 (52.5%), and lumbar spinal cord 128 patients (12.3%). The incidence of complete paralysis in those with a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) was 68.8%, and for thoracic and lumbar SCI 79% each. The time for completion of activities of daily living (ADL) was 12.0 +/- 1.54 months in those with tetraplegia, and 5.6 +/- 1.71 months for those with paraplegia. The rate of employment for reentry into society was 59% in those with a cervical spinal cord injury, and 74% each in those with a thoracic or lumbar spinal cord injury.

Direct transfer of plasmid DNA from intact yeast spheroplasts into plant protoplasts.

We developed a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated direct DNA transfer method from intact Saccharomyces cerevisiae spheroplasts into Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts. To monitor the DNA transfer from yeast to plant cells, beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene in which a plant intron was inserted was used as a reporter. This intron-GUS reporter gene on a 2 microns-based plasmid vector was not expressed in yeast transformants, while it expressed GUS activity when the plasmid DNA was introduced into plant cells. When a mixture of 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts harboring the plasmid and 2 x 10(6) of A. thaliana protoplasts was treated with PEG and high pH-high Ca2+ solution (0.4 M mannitol, 50 mM CaCl2, 50 mM glycine-NaOH pH 10.5), GUS activity was detected in the extract of the plant cells after a three-day culture. The GUS activity was higher than that of a reconstitution experiment in which the mixture of 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts which did not carry the reporter gene, 2 x 10(6) of A. thaliana protoplasts and the same amount of the reporter plasmid DNA as that contained in 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts, was treated with PEG and high pH-high Ca2+ solution. Moreover, the GUS gene expression was resistant to micrococcal nuclease treatment before and during PEG treatment. From these results, we concluded that plasmid DNA can be directly transferred from intact yeast spheroplasts to plant protoplasts by a nuclease-resistant process, possibly by the cell fusion.

A mutant allele skt5 affecting protoplast regeneration and killer toxin resistance has double mutations in its wild-type structural gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carrying the mutant allele skt5 are resistant to the killer toxin of Kluyveromyces lactis and are defective in protoplast regeneration. The DNA sequence analysis of the cloned mutant skt5 gene showed a nucleotide substitution (causing a glycine-to-glutamic acid substitution) and also a nucleotide insertion (causing a frameshift at the extreme carboxyterminal region) in the structural region from its wild-type gene.

[Roentgenological measurement of the cervical vertebral bodies in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and cervical spondylosis (CS) (author's transl)].

Many studies of the pathogenesis of ossification of posterior longitudinal ligaments (OPLL) have been reported, and both general and local factors have been pointed out. In case a longitudinal ligament is affected by both the general and local OPLL factors for many years, the shape and size of the cervical vertebral bodies and the arrangement of the cervical spinal column might be affected. The relation between OPLL and disc degeneration, the morphology of the facet joint and the change of longitudinal ligament tension has been reported by many authors. But the relation between OPLL and the shape, size and arrangement of cervical vertebral bodies has not been reported. We selected X-ray films of the lateral view of cervical spines which had been taken at our hospital since 1975. The subjects consisted of 190 cases in Group I and 189 cases in Group II. Half of Group I had OPLL, of which 71 were males and 24 females. The other half of Group I was composed of 95 cases (CS) of cervical spondylosis of the same sex and age distribution. Group II comprised 189 cases, all males aged 49 yrs. Of them, 41 were OPLL cases, 102 CS, and 46 normal subjects. The X-ray films of Group II were taken during medical examinations. The height, antero-posterior diameter of the cervical vertebral bodies and the antero-posterior diameter of the cervical spinal canals were measured and examined for kyphosis between the two neighbouring cervical vertebral bodies, disc space narrowing and Barsony ossification. The height and antero-posterior diameter of the cervical vertebral bodies were compared among the following groups. 1) the 3 groups divided according to age (-49,50-59,60-75 yrs.), 2) segmental type with non-segmental type, 3) OPLL only at C3 and C4 with OPLL only at C5, C6, and C7. The results were as follows: The cervical vertebral bodies of OPLL were taller and wider than those of CS. Cervical vertebral bodies of the older group were shorter and wider than those of the younger groups in both OPLL and CS. THe relative height (C3 = I) of OPLL group was very close to Normal group. The cervical vertebral bodies of non-segmental type were taller but not wider than those of segmental type of OPLL group. The C3 and C4 vertebral bodies with OPLL only at C3 and C4 were taller, but not wider than those with OPLL only at C5, C6 and C7. The antero-posterior diameter of cervical spinal canal of OPLL was narrower than CS group. The above data indicate the following: 1) With advance in age, cervical vertebral bodies become lower and wider. 2) The cervical vertebral body of OPLL is taller and wider than that of CS. 3) The level of OPLL and the type of OPLL have a relation to the height of cervical vertebral body. 4) The cervical vertebral bodies which have OPLL are wider than non-OPLL. But the level and the type of OPLL have no relation with the A-P diameter of the cervical vertebral body.