[Clinical significance of serum LpA-I levels measured by immunoturbidimetric assay in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients].

Previously, we developed an immunoturbidimetric assay method for lipoprotein A-I(LpA-I) on sera pre-absorbed with anti-apolipoprotein A-II. In the present study, correlations between serum lipoprotein A-I and other serum parameters levels were examined and LpA-I levels were studied in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The serum levels of LpA-I did not correlate with those of diabetic markers such as fasted blood glucose, glycohemoglobin(HbA1c) and fructosamine, but correlated well with the levels of total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, phospholipids, apolipoprotein A-I and seemed to correlate inversely with arteriosclerosis index. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, LpA-I levels were significantly lower than those in normal subjects. Especially, LpA-I levels of patients with diabetic complications were significantly lower than those in normal subjects and non-complicated diabetic patients. Then, the measurement of LpA-I levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was considered to be useful for prevention and management of arteriosclerosis.

Glycated apolipoprotein A-I assay by combination of affinity chromatography and latex immunoagglutination.

The degree of glycation of plasma apolipoprotein A-I was measured by a combination of gel filtration, boronate affinity chromatography and latex immunoagglutination. The plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I determined by this combination method (y) correlated well with those determined by turbidimetric immunoassay (x) (y=1.12x + 1.9, r=0.964). The inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation in the glycated apolipoprotein A-I assay were 4.1-5.0% and 4.0-4.4%, respectively. Interference from plasma glucose at concentrations up to 55.1 mmol/L was eliminated by gel filtration. Labile glycated apolipoprotein A-I did not interfere with the measurement of glycated apolipoprotein A-I. Reference values for glycated apolipoprotein A-I were determined to be 2.4-4.0% (n=140), with no significant difference between men and women. The mean concentration of plasma glycated apolipoprotein A-I in patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (5.11%) was significantly higher than in normal subjects (3.12%, P<0.001). The method is simple, rapid and highly sensitive for determination of the glycation level of plasma apolipoprotein A-I.

[Development of a serum lipoprotein A-I immunoassay method].

We developed an immunoturbidimetric assay method for lipoprotein A-I by treating sera with an anti-apo lipoprotein A-II and A-I antibody sequentially. The assay is sensitive to detect lipoprotein A-I as little as 155 mg/l with good precision. There was a good correlation in the level of serum lipoprotein A-I between the present assay and a conventional differential electroimmunoassay on ready-to-use plates (r = 0.947; p < 0.001). Reference intervals in normal healthy adults (n = 109) ranged from 284 to 736 mg/l. The values were significantly lower in patients with coronary artery disease than in normal subjects (p < 0.001). The present assay can be useful to analyze patho-physiologic events in various lipid disorders.

Enhancement of CD3-mediated thymocyte apoptosis by the cross-linkage of heat-stable antigen.

Heat-stable antigen (HSA) is a murine differentiating antigen that is expressed on both CD4-CD8- double-negative and CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes but not CD4+ or CD8+ single-positive thymocytes. Effects of anti-HSA monoclonal antibody, R13, on thymocyte apoptosis induced by various stimulations were investigated by a single-cell suspension culture system. Immobilized R13 enhanced the CD3-mediated DNA fragmentation and killing of thymocytes but not the dexamethasone-induced or phorbol myristate acetate-induced killing of thymocytes. Immobilized R13 by itself could not induce thymocyte apoptosis. Soluble R13 enhanced CD3-mediated apoptosis when HSA and T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 were co-cross-linked by a cross-reactive secondary antibody. Even without the cross-reactive secondary antibody, soluble R13 enhanced CD3-mediated apoptosis, although a greater than 100-fold increase in the amount of R13 was needed to give a similar enhancement compared with immobilized R13. Neither R13 by itself nor R13 plus secondary antibody induced cytosolic calcium influx, whereas R13 enhanced CD3-mediated cytosolic calcium increase. These results suggest a functional role of HSA in promoting the activation-induced apoptosis of thymocytes and the involvement of HSA in negative selection.

Immunohistochemical detection of truncated APC protein in sporadic human colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas.

Mutations of the APC gene frequently occur in sporadic forms of colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Phenotypically, the vast majority of these mutations result in the truncation of the APC protein. To demonstrate the defective APC gene product in human colorectal tumors, rabbit region-specific antisera raised against the APC protein of amino acid sequences between 371 and 390 (SPI) and between 1821 and 1840 (SP3) were used to exhibit the truncated APC protein. In all, 86 lesions from 67 cases of sporadic adenoma and adenocarcinoma were examined; abnormal staining patterns were distinguished in 43 lesions (50%); the incidence of abnormalities was not significantly different between adenomas and carcinomas. The majority, 75% exhibited epitopic change with the SPI-positive and SP3-negative phenotype (type P1), and 25% exhibited neither of these phenotypes (type P2). The staining pattern in all lesions was uniform, and studies of carcinomas arising in adenomas showed the same pattern of staining. These findings supported the view that the APC lesion is a very early event in colorectal carcinogenesis. Furthermore, this simple immunohistochemical approach demonstrated that different adenomas from the same patient showed different staining patterns.

Attenuation of human chorionic gonadotropin release by nitric oxide in choriocarcinoma cell lines.

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the regulation of endocrine functions, but only a few studies have been reported about its role in placental hormone secretion. We investigated whether NO has any function in the release of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in two different choriocarcinoma cell lines, JEG-3 and BeWo. First, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was characterized in the choriocarcinoma cells. NOS activity was localized mainly in the particulate fraction and depended on calcium/calmodulin. Activity was inhibited by the presence of the L-arginine analog, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 1 x 10(-4) M). Western blot analysis showed that the choriocarcinoma cells contained an endothelial isoform of NOS. The NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 1 x 10(-5) and 1 x 10(-4) M), significantly inhibited hCG secretion in both choriocarcinoma cell lines. The suppression of hCG release by SNP (1 x 10(-5) M) was blocked by the addition of an NO scavenger, hemoglobin (1 x 10(-6) M). L-Arginine (1 x 10(-2) M), a NOS substrate, inhibited basal hCG secretion in JEG-3 cells. Incubation of the cells with L-NMMA (1 x 10(-4) and 1 x 10(-3) M) significantly increased hCG release. Exposure of both cell lines to increasing concentrations of a cyclic GMP analog (8-bromo-cyclic GMP; 1 x 10(-4) to 1 x 10(-2) M) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of hCG release. Cyclic GMP accumulation in response to SNP (1 x 10(-4) M), however, was not detected in either JEG-3 or BeWo cells. These data demonstrated that the endothelial isoform of NOS and a functional L-arginine-NO pathway are present in the choriocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, these findings support the hypothesis that NO produced in these cell lines is involved in the regulation of hCG secretion. We assume that although cyclic GMP is likely to play a role as a second messenger, a cyclic GMP-independent pathway cannot be excluded as a possible physiological mechanism in the attenuation of hCG release by NO.

Gestational changes in nitric oxide synthase activity in the rat placenta.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of nitric oxide (NO) generated in the placenta on pregnancy, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities were measured in the rat placentas of different gestational ages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NOS activity was determined by [3H] L-arginine to [3H]-citrulline conversion assay on rat placenta of day 5, 10, 15 and 21 of gestation. RESULTS: NOS activity distributed both in the soluble and particulate fractions. Inhibition of NOS activity by L-arginine analogs confirmed the substrate specificity. The requirement of calcium/calmodulin for the maximal activity indicated that the rat placenta NOS was of a constitutive calcium/calmodulin dependent isoform. The activities in both fractions were higher in the earlier gestational age placentas, decreasing with progression of gestation, and the lowest in the term placentas. CONCLUSION: Although NOS activity was detected in the placenta throughout gestation, it was highest in the early gestational age placenta, suggesting a possible significant role of NO in early gestation.

Lipase activities in post-heparin plasma and tissues, and susceptibilities of lipoproteins in experimental diabetic rats.

Heparin administration to diabetic rats caused no change in VLDL, an increase in IDL and a decrease in LDL on electrophoretic analysis of plasma lipoproteins, while the administration to control rats markedly decreased VLDL and increased IDL and LDL. Both hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities in the postheparin plasma were lower in the diabetic rats than in the controls, and the reduction of HTGL activity was greater than that of LPL activity in the diabetic rats. The LPL activity in the adipose tissue was lower in the diabetic rats than in the controls, but the activities in the cardiac and skeletal muscles were similar in the two rats. The HTGL-catalyzed fatty acid (FA) releases from the diabetic VLDL and IDL were lower than those from the normal rat VLDL and IDL, while the LPL-catalyzed FA release in the diabetic rats was not different from those in the controls. The decreases in LPL and HTGL activities and the markedly impaired susceptibility of IDL to HTGL coincide well with the postheparin changes in plasma lipoproteins in diabetic rats, an increase in IDL and a decrease in LDL.

[Activities of antipseudomonal agents against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

Using clinically isolated 114 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that were collected from April to October 1994, activity of antipseudomonal agents against these organisms was determined using the method of liquid microdilution. In addition, antimicrobial activities of the agents were graded according to serological groups of organisms. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. Many strains of P. aeruginosa were isolated mainly from sputum, pus and urine. 2. Serological group G organisms of sputum origin, group I of pus and bile origin, and group E of urine origin were isolated most frequently. 3. The most powerful antipseudomonal agent was cefclidin. Its MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.78 and 6.25 micrograms/ml, respectively. The second most powerful agent was ciprofloxacin whose MIC50 and MIC90 were 0.39 and 12.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. 4. The proportions of resistant strains ranged from 0.9% for cefclidin to 40.4% for ofloxacin. The antipseudomonal agents to which 30% or more of strains were resistant were cefpirome, gentamicin and ofloxacin. 5. Cefclidin showed the most powerful activity against strains that were resistant to ceftazidime, imipenem, gentamicin and ofloxacin. Its MIC90 against all strains resistant to ceftazidime, gentamicin and ofloxacin was 6.25 micrograms/ml. The MIC90 of cefclidin and tobramycin against imipenem-resistant strains was 3.13 micrograms/ml. 6. Group E organisms were found among strains resistant to ceftazidime, gentamicin and ofloxacin at high rates, but no group E strains were found among imipenem-resistant organisms. 7. Agents with highest activities by serological group of organisms were cefclidin against group A, tobramycin and ciprofloxacin against group B, imipenem against group E, ciprofloxacin against group G, and cefclidin and ciprofloxacin against group I.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Serum lipoprotein and atherogenicity--relationship with particle size and composition of low density lipoproteins, and their modifications by oxidation and glycation].

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been recognized commonly as an atherogenic lipoprotein. Especially, small dense LDL is considered to be more atherogenic than large buoyant LDL. It is contained in polydisperse LDL with various sizes and densities. Although the causative mechanism of LDL heterogeneity has not been elucidated clearly yet, it is supposed to be derived from the heterogeneous mechanism of metabolic processing of the VLDL(very low density lipoprotein)-LDL cascade different from the common pathway. It might be due to quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of secreted VLDL, different susceptibilities to lipoprotein lipase as well as hepatic lipase, and the change of receptor binding abilities of LDL. The development of polydisperse LDL has a genetic background. However, it must be influenced by some environmental factors, since the heterogeneity of LDL is restored completely to a normal monodisperse pattern concomitantly with the decreased serum triglyceride level by dietary caloric restriction. LDL is well known to be oxidized or glycated spontaneously in vivo and in vitro. Such modified LDL loses the binding affinity to the classical LDL receptor and is taken up by monocyte-derived macrophages through scavenger receptors. Since the scavenger receptor system is not down regulated, it promotes the formation of foam cells in the arterial wall accumulating cholesterol and other lipids by excess LDL uptake. Small dense LDL is considered to be easily oxidized or glycated compared with large buoyant LDL. Therefore, it might increase further the atherogenic potency by such modifications.

Compositions of very low density lipoprotein subfractions from patients with polydisperse low density lipoproteins.

In some hyperlipidemic patients, low density lipoprotein (LDL) shows several peaks (polydisperse) on polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoreses, though LDL usually shows a single peak (monodisperse). In order to clarify the relationship between the LDL polydispersion and VLDL heterogeneity, LDL and VLDL were prepared from hyperlipidemic patients sera with mono- and polydisperse LDL by sequential ultracentrifugation and fractionated by gradient ultracentrifugation and their compositions were analyzed. Polydisperse LDL was rich in triacylglycerol (TG) and poor in esterified cholesterol (CE) as compared with monodisperse LDL and consisted of the lowest and the medium density subfractions when the LDL was separated into six subfractions. The monodisperse LDL was composed of a single major subfraction of a medium density. VLDL from the patients with polydisperse LDL was relatively rich in the dense and poor in the buoyant subfractions as compared with that from the patients with monodisperse LDL. The subfractions in the former contained more CE and less TG than the corresponding subfractions in the latter. There were no significant differences in the apolipoprotein compositions between those VLDLs. The results suggest that polydisperse LDL might be originated from VLDL that differs in particle sizes, densities and compositions from ordinary VLDL.

Isolation of mouse complement component C7.

Mouse complement component C7 was purified from serum by a sequential procedure of fractionation precipitation by ammonium sulfate, followed by DE-52 anion exchange chromatography. Protein G affinity column chromatography, Mono S cation exchange chromatography and Superdex 200 gel filtration. The final product contained a highly purified mouse C7 component showing a single band on SDS-PAGE at the apparent Mrs of 90 kDa and 100 kDa under non-reduced and reduced conditions respectively. The yield of C7, which was measured by the biological activity, was 7.0%

Decreased susceptibility of glycated very low density lipoproteins to lipoprotein lipase in vitro and prevention by glutathione.

In vitro glycation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) reduced the susceptibility to lipoprotein lipase (LPL) as the level of glycation increased. Addition of reduced glutathione to an incubation medium of serum and glucose interfered with glycation of serum proteins when the concentration of reduced glutathione was higher than 10 mM. At concentrations higher than 25 mM, it also significantly prevented the glycation induced reduction of fatty acid releases from VLDL by LPL. There were no such effects on glycation of serum protein and the fatty acid release from the addition of aminoguanidine. By contrast, addition of D-lysine enhanced glycation of serum proteins by glucose and further decreased fatty acid release from VLDL by LPL. From these results, it is suggested that glycation of VLDL decreases the susceptibility of VLDL to LPL. Delayed catabolism of VLDL in diabetic patients is considered partly caused by glycation of apoproteins, which renders VLDL less sensitive to LPL, in addition to the decreased LPL activity in diabetes mellitus.

Reduced hepatic release of apoprotein B after enteral nutrition in rats.

To investigate the effects of enteral and parenteral alimentation on VLDL release from the liver, a lipid-free liquid nutriment was continuously administered to free-moving rats via the oral cavity (oral group), stomach (enteral group) or superior caval vein (parenteral group). After 1-week of nutrition, the plasma VLDL concentrations were significantly lowered in the enterally-fed group. By immunoblotting assay using a specific antiserum, plasma contents of both apoprotein B-100 and B-48, the major components of rat apoprotein B, were found to be decreased in the enteral group, whereas only that of apoprotein B-48 was reduced in the parenteral group as compared with the oral group. Sucrose gradient centrifugation of the lipid droplets in the liver from the enteral group showed an increase of the free-triacylglycerol fraction with a concomitant increase of the apoprotein B-48-rich triacylglycerol fraction. These results suggest that enteral nutrition causes triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver, at least in part by impairment of lipoprotein release from the liver.

In vitro degradation of very low density lipoprotein from diabetic patients by lipoprotein lipase.

Fatty acid release by incubation with lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in vitro from very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) obtained from diabetic patients was low compared with that from healthy subjects, though the compositions were similar in both VLDL. Percentages of the large size VLDL decreased and those of the small size VLDL increased after the incubation with LPL. At the same time, on polyacrylamide gel disk electrophoresis, the smaller catabolic products from these VLDL appeared at a similar position to that of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and at the running front where high density lipoproteins (HDL) had migrated. The amount of the small size VLDL and the LDL-like lipoproteins produced from diabetic VLDL were less than those from normal VLDL and inversely correlated with the percent decrease of the large original size VLDL. This fact suggests that VLDL from diabetic patients are poor substrates for LPL compared with normal VLDL.

Inhibition of homologous complement activation by the heat-stable antigen.

The murine heat-stable antigen (HSAg) is of particular interest due to its unique tissue distribution. HSAg is expressed on most thymocytes, bone marrow cells, immature B cells, and erythrocytes, but not on peripheral T and mature B cells. Although HSAg has been thought to be a differentiation antigen, its actual biological significance remains unknown except for the HSAg on antigen presenting cells. Recently, a new rat anti-HSAg mAb, R13, has been developed. Here it has been found that the mouse complement activation on mouse erythrocytes, but not the human, guinea pig or rabbit complement activations, was enhanced in the presence of the Fab fragment of R13. Affinity-purified HSAg derived from mouse erythrocytes could be passively incorporated into rabbit erythrocytes because of its molecular characteristic of glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-anchored protein. Mouse complement activation, but not guinea pig complement activation, was partially suppressed on the HSAg-incorporated rabbit erythrocytes. These findings suggest that HSAg has a homologous complement regulating activity.

[Evaluation and problems of ultracentrifugal technique for separation and analysis of serum lipoproteins: comparison with other analytical methods].

An ultracentrifugal technique for separating and analyzing serum lipoproteins was evaluated in comparison with analyses by electrophoresis using agarose-gel and polyacrylamide-gel. In general, the percent of pre beta- and beta-lipoproteins in electrophoresis was estimated higher than the percent of VLDL and LDL in ultracentrifugal method, while the percentage of alpha-lipoprotein in the former was estimated lower than that of HDL in the latter. In cases with abnormal lipoproteinemias, various discrepancies arose between the methods. For examples, pre beta- and beta-lipoproteins were estimated too high by the analyses with electrophoresis. The cholesterol content in HDL decreases in hypertriglyceridemia accompanied by an increase in triglyceride content. Therefore, when HDL cholesterol is determined by a polyanion method to assess the net HDL concentration in such cases, it is estimated to be low. Such errors are not only found in the determination of HDL cholesterol, but also in apoproteins in liver cirrhosis, because the composition of HDL apoprotein is markedly altered. Since the heterogeneity of lipoproteins separated by ultracentrifugation is characteristic in hereditary disorders of lipoproteins such as LCAT deficiency, the centrifugal technique is essential for lipoprotein analysis in such disorders. The disadvantages in ultracentrifugation are cross-contaminations among fractions, and removals of lipids and apoproteins from lipoprotein particles. Apo A-I and E proteins, and phospholipids were removed from the particles more rapidly than other components. From the results of repeated ultracentrifugation of HDL, 3% of apo A-I was estimated to be lost from the HDL during the centrifuge procedure.

Intestinal type alkaline phosphatase hyperphosphatasemia associated with liver cirrhosis.

Hyperphosphatasemia due to increased intestinal type serum alkaline phosphatase was noted in a 48-year-old male who had asymptomatic liver cirrhosis. The alkaline phosphatase activity in the serum was 828 U/l (our reference range in adults: 57-194 U/l), 94% of which was of the intestinal type as measured by an immunoprecipitation method. The intestinal component of alkaline phosphatase was separated into two major and some minor components using electrophoresis and isoelectrofocusing. One of the major components had similar mobility to that of a standard intestinal enzyme purified from adult intestine. The components were heat-labile and neuraminidase-resistant. Serial lectin affinity chromatography, however, indicated that sugar chain compositions of the alkaline phosphatase were different from those of the standard tissue intestinal enzyme. These results and further enzymological studies suggest that the patient's serum alkaline phosphatase basically consisted of several intestine-like isoforms.

Purification of the murine heat-stable antigen from erythrocytes.

The rat anti-mouse erythrocyte (MRBC) monoclonal antibody (mAb), R13, has been developed. The MRBC membrane protein recognized by R13 (R13-Ag) can be purified by loading the butanol-extracted MRBC membrane solution on a R13-conjugated Cellulofine column in the presence of 0.1% CHAPS followed by elution with 1% CHAPS. The amino acid sequence of the affinity-purified R13-Ag corresponded to that predicted from the cDNA for the murine heat-stable antigen. It was revealed that the actual heat-stable antigen was composed of 27 amino acids.