[Early diagnostic imaging of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (author's transl)]. / Möglichkeiten der Früherkennung der chronischen Polyarthritis.

The respective diagnostic value each of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine in the detection of early rheumatoid arthritis is being demonstrated--with close correlation to its clinical presentation and course. Diagnostic radiology is found to be specific and nuclear medicine to be highly sensitive, with the latter giving better diagnostic information at an earlier time about the activity of the disease than the former--including soft tissue technique. Nuclear medicine further--more will be helpful for appropriate timing of diagnostic radiology evaluations of this disease.

Bleomycin-sensitivity test: application for human squamous cell carcinoma.

Bleomycin (BLM)-inactivating enzyme activity, which is probably a parameter for the efficacy of this antibiotic in cancer therapy, was determined in biopsies from human carcinomas in the head and neck region. Twenty-three cases were studied. It was found that highly differentiated as well as moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinomas had low extractable activities of this enzyme, comparably to those found in normal skin tissue. Slightly differentiated as well as undifferentiated carcinomas (only one case) had increased enzyme activity. Parallel experiments estimating the total extractable thiol content in the biopsies gave no obvious correlation. The results are discussed in the light of the reported BLM efficacy in the treatment of differently differentiated squamous cell carcinomas.

Alteration of poly (ADP-Rib) synthesis during progesterone- caused gene expression in oviducts of quails.

The biological model of the selective induction of RNA synthesis in oviducts of estrogen stimulated immature quails by progesterone has been used to clarify whether poly (AD-Rib) is involved in DNA transcription. The chromatin-bound as well as the soluble poly (ADP-Rib) polymerase has been isolated from oviducts and the optimal reaction conditions have been determined. The activities, as measured by the incorporation rates of NAD+ into poly (ADP-Rib), of both, chromatin-bound "endogenous" polymerase (in the absense of "exogenous" DNA and histones) and soluble enzyme (native DNA-lysine-rich histone ratio: 4.3) from progesterone treated quail oviducts, have been determined to be only 30 per cent and 46 per cent respectively, as compared with the activities of the enzymes from the controls. This decrease in incorporation rates is apparently not due to an increased poly (ADP-Rib) degrading enzyme activity. Poly (ADP-Rib) synthesis in vivo was determined by incorporation studies with the precursor (14C) ribose. 12 h after intraperitoneal administration, 0.014 per cent of the total radioactivity was recovered in the oviduct histone fraction, 0.011 per cent in the oviduct nonhistone fraction and 0.009 per cent in the oviduct "HCIextract" containing the histone subfractions f1, f2 and f3. Among these histone subfractions f1 is ADP-ribosylated to the largest extent. ADP-ribosylation of f1 is less extensive in progesterone-stimulated oviducts (65 per cent) than in the controls (100 per cent). The present results suggest that in course of the selective, progesterone-induced DNA transcription the poly (ADP-Rib synthesis might drop.

Influence of formycin B on polyadenosine diphosphoribose synthesis in vitro and in vivo.

Formycin B inhibited growth of L5178Y mouse leukemia cells in concentrations of less than twice the concentration that inhibits cell proliferation at 50% by cytostasis; at higher concentrations (more than twice the 50% concentration mentioned), the cells were killed. In cells treated with the concentration that inhibits cell proliferation at 50%, the average cell volume did not change. The formycin B inhibitory effect on cell proliferation was reduced by coincubation with nicotinamide adenine diphosphate or adenosine. The biosyntheses of DNA,RNA, and protein in whole cells were sensitively inhibited by formycin B as checked by incorporation studies with radioactive precursors. In addition, the formation of polyadenosine diphosphoribose was reduced even with higher sensitivity; in particular the extent of adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of histone subfraction H1 was reduced. Formycin B has been shown to be an inhibitor for the polyadenosine diphosphoribose polymerase, isolated from oviduct nuclei of quails. Both the chromatin-bound and the soluble enzyme are inhibited competitively; the relative affinity (Ki/Km) of formycin B to the polyadenosine diphosphoribose polymerase is 1.5.

Alterations of DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities in the immature quail oviduct in response to estrogen stimulation.

Administration of diethylstilbestrol, an estrogen analogue, to immature female quails causes an increase of extractable DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities from the oviduct. At least two forms of polymerases have been determined, a high molecular weight polymerase (210,000 daltons) and a low molecular weight polymerase (34,000 daltons) calculated from column chromatography Sephadex G-200. During the primary hormone stimulation the amount of extractable enzyme reaches a maximum on the fifth day after daily injections of the hormone. In the period of withdrawal the activities decrease and reach values similar to those determined in the unstimulated oviducts. During secondary stimulation the polymerase activities increase again the first day; subsequently the values decrease drastically. The alterations in enzyme activity correlate with the DNA synthesis in the oviduct, as measured by analytical determination of the DNA content.

Mode of action of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine on the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein in vivo and in vitro.

The influence of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A) and its 5'-triphosphate derivative on programmed synthesis was tested with an intact cell system as well as with isolated enzyme systems. The effect of ara-A was tested in mouse lymphoma cells (L5178Y). The compound reduces cell proliferation in low concentration by cytostasis; under high ara-A concentration of radioactive precursors into DNA, RNA, and protein showed that ara-A selectively inhibits DNA synthesis. Formation of a polysome complex is not affected by ara-A. [3H]ara-A is incorporated into DNA in an intact cell system; 1 molecule of ara-A is incorporated per 8000 molecules of deoxyadenosine. Most of the ara-A molecules appeared to be in internucleotide linkages. Incorporation of ara-A into RNA could not be detected. 9-BETA-D-Arabinofuranosyladenine 5'-triphosphate (ara-ATP) does not reduce the incorporation rate of the following enzymes, isolated from quail oviducts: DNA-dependent RNA polymerases I and II, polyadenylic acid polymerase, and poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase. The compound was found to inhibit DNA synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerases isolated from quail oviducts and from oncogenic RNA viruses (Rous sarcoma viruses). All the enzymes tested were inhibited by ara-ATP in a competitive way with respect to deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate. The highest affinity of ara-ATP, i.e., the highest inhibitory potency of the drug, was found in the assays with the eukaryotic low-molecular DNA-dependent DNA polymerase. The influence on the eukaryotic high-molecular DNA-dependent Dna polymerase was a litte less. Compared to the eukaryotic DNA polymerases, the viral enzymes (RNA-directed DNA polymerase and DNA-directed DNA polymerase) are affected to a smaller extent by ara-ATP. No effects of ara-A and ara-ATP are observed in a protein-synthesizing, cell-free system isolated from L5178Y cells.