Identification of species in Aspergillus section Flavi based on sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.

The partial sequences of the mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome b gene (402 bp) were determined for species of Aspergillus section Flavi. On the basis of identities of DNA sequences, 77 strains were divided into seven DNA types, from D-1 to D-7. The type strains of A. sojae, A. parasiticus, A. flavus and A. oryzae together, A. tamarii, and A. nomius were placed in DNA types D-1. D-2, D-4, D-5 and D-7, respectively. These species could be differentiated from each other. Furthermore, two other DNA types, D-3 and D-6 were found. DNA type D-3 was closely related to A. parasiticus (D-2) and included one strain that deposited as A. flatus var. flavus and produced aflatoxins B and G. DNA types D-6 included one strain named A. flavus and closely related to A. tamarii. The observations of conidial wall texture by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) supported the relationships derived from the cytochrome b gene. The production of aflatoxins was also examined. Using the DNA sequence of cytochrome b gene, several strains were reidentified. The derived amino acids sequences were all the same in the studied strains. The mt cytochrome b gene is useful and reliable in distinguishing and identifying the species in Aspergillus section Flavi.

Neutrophil elastase may play a key role in developing symptomatic disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure in patients with head injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism associated with the development of symptomatic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) after head injury. METHODS: Plasma parameters were analyzed in patients with symptomatic (group A, n = 10) and asymptomatic DIC (group B, n = 15) induced by head injury, and in patients in whom DIC was caused by sepsis (group C, n = 10). RESULTS: Levels of fibrinogen, alpha2PI-plasmin complex and platelets in group A (58.1 mg/dL, 22.4 microg/mL, 16.0 x 10(4)/ mm3) and group B (98.3, 22.1, 16.6 x 10(4)) were comparable, but differed significantly from those in group C (297.4, 2.4, 6.3 x 10(4)). Significant differences were observed between groups A and B in both neutrophil-elastase (1,528 vs. 293 microg/ml) and D-dimer (42.1 vs. 17.6 microg/mL). CONCLUSION: Neutrophil elastase may be implicated in the development of symptomatic DIC after head injury, whose characteristics include "enhanced fibrinolysis with minimal platelet loss."

[A resected case of so-called carcinosarcoma of the lung which was diagnosed as diaphragmatic tumor].

A 64-year-old male complained of right hypochondralgia and was admitted to our hospital. A large tumor (10 x 15 x 10 cm) of the right diaphragm was detected involving the middle and lower lobe of the lung. Microscopic and immunohistochemical examinations showed that bronchiolo-alveolar cell carcinoma was interposed in the sarcoma-like lesion, and this tumor was diagnosed as a so-called carcinosarcoma of the lung.

Hyperplastic (metaplastic) polyposis of the colorectum associated with adenomas and an adenocarcinoma.

Hyperplastic (metaplastic) polyposis associated with adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the colorectum is rare. We describe a 55-year-old man with hyperplastic polyposis associated with multiple adenomas and an adenocarcinoma who underwent total colectomy. We found at least 200 polyps in the surgical specimen. Nearly all of the polyps were hyperplastic, and some were adenomas. Furthermore, some hyperplastic polyps had adenomatous areas. This indicates the transformational sequence of a hyperplastic polyp to adenoma to adenocarcinoma.

Does gender make a difference in the risk of falls? A Japanese study.

The number of elderly people in the world is increasing at a remarkable rate and the rate of aging in Japan is the world's highest. According to a statistical survey done in 1994, people over 65 years of age constitute 14.1% of the Japanese population. In addition, the Japanese average life expectancy in 1991 was the highest in the world, reaching 76.1 years for men and 82.1 years for women. A prominent health problem among elderly people is immobility which can result in elderly patients becoming bedridden (Eto, 1992). Recently, the problem of falls among the frail elderly has received increased interest. Although fall mortality in the Japanese elderly was not as high as those of France or the United States (Rockett & Smith, 1989), falls lead to deterioration in the health and physical status of the elderly. If falls could be reduced among the elderly, many of the health problems attributed to immobility among the Japanese elderly would be reduced. Some falls have a single and obvious cause, but most appear to result from several factors. With better knowledge of the causes and risk factors for falls among the elderly, effective preventive measures can be instituted (Tinetti, Speechley, & Ginter, 1988; Ryynanen, 1994; Teno, Kiel, & Mor 1990). There are few studies concerning falls among the institutionalized elderly (Haga, Shibata, Shichida, Matsuzaki, & Hatano, 1986) and community-dwelling elderly in Japan (Yasumura et al., 1994; Niino et al., 1995; Suzuki et al., 1991, 1992; Suzuki, Yamada, Takahashi, & Tsuchiya, 1991; Suzuki, Yamada, & Tsuchiya, 1993). The purpose of this study was to investigate falls among the elderly, selected at random, who live in Koga, a city in eastern Japan.

Enhancement of plasma membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in regenerating rat liver: involvement of endogenous activating protein regucalcin.

The alteration of (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in the plasma membranes of regenerating rat liver after a partial hepatectomy was investigated. Liver was surgically removed about two thirds of that of sham-operated rats. The reduced liver weight by partial hepatectomy was restored about 50% at 24 h after the surgery, and it was completely restored at 72 h. Regenerating liver significantly increased calcium content and plasma membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity between 12-48 h after hepatectomy. Those increases were maximum at 24 h after the surgery. The regenerating liver-induced increase in hepatic plasma membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity was completely abolished by the presence of anti-regucalcin IgG (1.0-4.0 micrograms/ml). The regenerating liver-induced increase in hepatic plasma membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity was clearly inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (2.5 and 5.0 mM) addition into the enzyme reaction mixture. This NEM effect was also seen for the activatory effect with regucalcin (0.25 microM) addition on the enzyme activity in the plasma membranes from normal rat liver. The endogenous regucalcin may play a cell physiological role in the activation of the plasma membrane (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase to maintain the intracellular calcium level in regenerating rat liver.

Interstrain differences in murine daunomycin-induced nephrosis.

Examining 8 inbred murine strains [A/J, BALB/c, SM/J, C3H/J, SWR/J, C57BL/6J (B6), DBA-2, B10D2/old (B10D2/o)] for urinary albumin excretion after a single daunomycin (DM) injection (20 mg/kg), we found strain specificity in susceptibility to DM nephrosis. This specificity did not relate to the serum disappearance rate of this drug. A/J and BALB/c were highly susceptible to the nephrosis while C57BL/6J, DBA-2 and B10D2/o were completely resistant to it. Chronological observation revealed that A/J mice had significant proteinuria at 2 weeks after injection, and it persisted for the remaining 4 weeks of this experiment, while C57BL/6J showed no increase over the experimental period. Using segregants obtained from an A/J and B6 backcross, it has been shown that susceptibility is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and involves approximately three genes. Neither a C5 deficiency, H-2 type nor coat color gene (c-locus) was related to this susceptibility. This strain difference in nephrotoxicity would be a promising way to investigate its subcellular mechanism.

Prevention and control of nosocomial infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a premature infant ward--preventive effect of a povidone-iodine wipe of neonatal skin.

In early 1983 we experienced a small scale epidemic of Staphylococcus aureus coagulase type IV in the premature infants unit. Children had bacteraemia or impetigo. The microorganism was resistant to methicillin, erythromycin and lincomycin and was susceptible to tetracycline, chloramphenicol and cefmetazole. The results of coagulase typing and antimicrobial sensitivities indicated that these cases represented nosocomial infection with MRSA. The source and route of the infection were investigated, and measures were taken to prevent bacterial spread from carriers and to keep instruments and environments clean. As the source of infection was not identified, we tried wiping the body surface of the premature infants with a diluted IsodineR solution (10% povidone-iodine; 1:100 dilution) in order to prevent colonization of the microorganism on the body surface. As a result, no additional MRSA infection occurred in the premature infant unit. During the subsequent 6 years of frequent surveys of carriers and wiping the appropriate body surface with diluted IsodineR solution we have had no recurrence of MRSA. None of the premature infants wiped with IsodineR solution showed any objective abnormalities, although laboratory testing disclosed an elevated blood iodine level and a transient mild reduction of T4 in some infants.

[Histological study on gland tissue in the median region of the lingual root--morphology of the foramen cecum and posterior lingual gland].

The lingual root is an area where the thyroid gland develops and small salivary glands composed of both serous and mucous glands are distributed in the submucosa. In this paper the foramen cecum and mucous glands at the root of the tongue were histologically investigated in serial sagittal sections of the medial portion of the lingual root. The materials were obtained from 59 autopsied cases, excluding the cases with metabolic disease, brain tumor and neck tumor in whom the original disease might exert direct or indirect effects to the gland tissue. The frontal end was determined to be the line which connects the right and left palatoglossal arch junctions with the tongue, and the rear end the line of transition of the vallecula to the epiglottis. The specimen was cut in half along the median lingual sulcus and median glossoepiglottic fold. Each serial section of 4 microns in thickness was cut from the median plain to the lateral and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin or Pas-Alcian blue at pH 2.5. The results of the study were summarized as follows. 1) The foramen cecum was histopathologically confirmed in 12 cases out of 59 (20%). The ratio of the detection did not show any difference between both sexes and in the groups of different age. 2) The mucous gland opening into the mucosal epithelium, which were located at the side of the lingual apex from the Ebner's gland or serous gland, were detected in 45 out of 59 (76%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in cancer patients received chemotherapy].

Forty-three patients with advanced cancer were evaluated for the changes of absolute counts of peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets during chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy. In 27 patients who did not respond to the therapy, whole lymphocytes, T cells, helper/inducer T cells and NK cells decreased significantly in number. In contrast, they showed little decrease in 16 cases responded to the therapy. In situ immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes was performed on the carcinoma tissues obtained from 25 gastric cancer patients. T cell infiltration, in which helper/inducer T cells were predominant over suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, and NK cell infiltration were found in most of the tissues comprised various carcinoma types of histology. Furthermore, an analysis of a gastric cancer patient treated with systemic administration of 3 BRMs and intratumoral injection of OK-432 indicated that infiltration of cytotoxic T cells and NK cells augmented by cytokines such as IFN-gamma produced from activated helper/inducer T cells and NK cells. Therefore, it is suggested that movements of helper/inducer T cells and NK cells relate to the response to chemotherapy and participate in prognosis of advanced cancer patients.

Biochemical aspects on adverse reactions to contrast media. Changes of kininogen levels in dog plasma after intravenous injections of iohexol, iopamidol, and iothalamate.

The adverse reactions to contrast media have been investigated by several authors but the exact mechanisms have not yet been established. To study whether kinin-releasing systems are involved in these adverse reactions, we determined total plasma kininogen levels at intervals up to 30 minutes after the intravenous injections of contrast media in dogs. Injections of iohexol, iopamidol, and iothalamate decreased total plasma kininogen levels. This effect increased with increasing dose of the media and suggests that they activated the kinin-releasing systems in the plasma.

Automated determination of drugs in serum by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography. II. Separation of theophylline and its metabolites.

The automated determination of theophylline and related compounds in human serum by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography, including direct injection of serum samples, is described. TSK pre-column BSA-ODS and TSK gel ODS-80TM were used in the pre-column and analytical column, respectively. Serum samples of 20 microliters were directly injected on to the pre-column. After washing out serum proteins from the pre-column with 0.1 M NaH2PO4 at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min for 3.5 min, the effluent from the pre-column was introduced on to the analytical column by a column-switching device. The analysis was performed by stepwise gradient elution using 10 and 18% methanol in 0.1 M NaH2PO4. Theophylline and nine derivatives could be determined simultaneously within 40 min. The recovery of these compounds from serum was 95-103%. The linearity (1.0-50 micrograms/ml theophylline) and reproducibility (coefficient of variation less than 2.0%) were sufficient for drug monitoring at the lower and upper limits of therapeutic concentrations of theophylline.

Role of renal nerves and dopamine on prostaglandin E release from the kidney of rats.

The aim of the study is to investigate the role of renal nerves and dopamine (DA) on urinary excretion of prostaglandin E (PGE) released from kidney with or without salt loading in rats. After excessive intake of high Na, urinary excretions of PGE and DA enhanced as compared with those of basal Na. In rats with renal denervation, urinary excretion of PGE and norepinephrine decreased in salt loading, and urinary Na excretion increased. Urinary PGE excretion was also enhanced by treatment of bromocriptine accompanying with augmented natriuresis. Urinary PGE excretion was suppressed by treatment of carbidopa, which also suppressed the urinary excretion of DA. These results suggest that the renal adrenergic nerve and tubular DA in kidney play an important role on the release of PGE and that these mechanisms in PGE release from kidney augment in salt loading.