Tophi reduction: ultrasound imaging and correlation with plasma levels of uric acid in patients undergoing treatment for tophaceous gout.

The objective was to determine the reduction of tophi in patients undergoing drug therapy in correlation with urate serum levels through ultrasound examination. A total of 31 male patients, between the ages of 33 to 77 years, with tophaceous gout were evaluated between 2005 and 2009, 11 of which were selected. Ultrasound examinations of visible tophi and evaluations of serum uric acids levels were performed annually on each patient. There was a statistically significant difference between measurements 1, 2, 3 and measurement 4 and between measurements 4 and 5. A strong significant positive association was seen between variation of tophus size and the reduction of serum uric acid levels.

Ca(2+)-activated outward-rectifier K+ channels and histamine release by rat gastric enterochromaffin-like cells.

Gastric enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells were isolated from rat gastric fundic mucosa by Percoll density-gradient centrifugation and counter-flow elutriation. About 67% of cells in the purified cell suspension were ECL cells, which were reacted with anti-histidine decarboxylase antibody. A23187, a calcium ionophore, at 0.1-10 microM induced histamine release from ECL cell-rich suspension, indicating that the Ca2+ pathway is involved in the mechanism of histamine release from the ECL cells. A23187 at 5 microM significantly increased outward-rectifier cationic current in 62% of cells in the ECL cell-rich factions. A23187-sensitive cells showed acridine orange uptake. In single-channel recordings, a Ca(2+)-dependent outward-rectifier K+ channel of large conductance (146 +/- 22 picosiemens) was found in the cell that showed acridine orange uptake. The channel opened in a voltage-dependent manner at 0.1 microM of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration. These results may suggest that opening of the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel is one of the steps involved in the mechanism of histamine release in ECL cells.

Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of intraluminal crystalloids in human prostatic carcinomas.

Intraluminal crystalloids (ICr) observed in 19 cases of incidental or invasive human prostatic carcinoma (PCa) and in a case of benign prostatic hyperplasia were examined extensively by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. They were brilliantly eosinophilic with haematoxylin and eosin, manifesting needle-like, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal and irregular lump-like in shape. They were strongly positive, dark blue, with phosphotungstic acid -haematoxylin (PTAH) stain in all cases examined. Among the human antibodies tested, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) gave specifically positive immunostainability with ICr in all cases. Annual ring-like lamellar or concentric structures were detected by electron microscopy. Positive staining of ICr with PTAH and anti-EMA antibody is very useful as a diagnostic marker for PCa in human prostatic tissues.

A novel alkaline phosphatase isozyme in human adipose tissue.

A novel alkaline phosphatase (AP) isozyme was found in human adipose tissue. Adipose tissue alkaline phosphatase differed in enzymatic properties from liver, placental and intestinal alkaline phosphatases. On electrophoresis it showed the same mobility as intestinal alkaline phosphatase, but after treatment with neuraminidase its mobility was decreased to the same as or slightly less than that of neuraminidase-treated liver alkaline phosphatase. Its inhibition by amino acids, inactivation by urea and activation by Mg2+ were almost the same to those of liver alkaline phosphatase. However, at 56 and 65 degrees C it was more stable than liver alkaline phosphatase. Alkaline phosphatase activity was demonstrated histochemically in adipose tissue with naphthol AS-MX phosphate as substrate. It was localized in the wall of blood capillaries, but not present in adipocytes.

Production of angiotensin-converting enzyme in rat epididymis.

Unilateral ductuli efferentia testis of immature rat were severed in order to interrupt the continuity between testis and epididymis and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activities were measured 5 weeks after the operation. The epididymal ACE on the operated side increased to nearly the same level as that on the contralateral side, but the testicular ACE activity on the operated side was markedly lower than that on the contralateral side. On immunofluorescent study using antiserum against purified rat lung ACE, ACE could be found in the tubular epithelial cells of the operated epididymis. These results suggest that epididymis itself synthesize ACE without connection to testis.

Extensive proliferation of subsequently injected marrow cells in parental-to-F1 hematopoietic chimeras that restored normal stem cell concentration after initial transplantation.

We investigated the fate of donor stem cells that were injected into hosts with a normal concentration of spleen colony-forming unit (CFU-S). Radiation chimeras were used as hosts. When CFU-S concentration in the marrow and spleen recovered to preirradiation levels after the initial bone marrow transplantation, the subsequent transplantation was done without reirradiation. Giant granules of beige C57B1/6 (bg) mice were used as a marker and proliferation and differentiation of the stem cells of the subsequent donor origin were evaluated by measuring the proportion of neutrophils with giant granules. No beige-type neutrophils were detectable at week 24 after transplantation of 5 X 10(7) marrow cells from bg mice to intact (WB X C57B1/6)F1 (F1) mice, which were used as control recipients. In contrast, transplantation of 5 X 10(7) marrow cells to radiation chimeras resulted in the appearance of neutrophils of second-donor origin. The proportion of beige-type neutrophils was 12% at week 24 after transplantation of bg marrow cells to F1-to-F1 (syngenic) or C57B1/6-+/+-to-bg (B6-to-bg) (congenic) chimeras; the proportion of beige-type neutrophils was 43% when bg marrow cells were transplanted to B6-to-F1 semiallogenic chimeras; the proportion of normal-type neutrophils was 82% when F1 marrow cells were injected to bg-to-F1 semiallogenic chimeras. Thus, the interaction of the host hematopoietic microenvironment with the stem cells of the initial donor as well as with the stem cells of the second donor seems to influence the proliferation and differentiation of the latter stem cells.

Reconstruction of a large lateral abdominal wall defect with an ilio-lumbar bi-pedicled flap.

An ilio-lumbar bi-pedicled flap was used for the reconstruction of a large lateral abdominal wall defect with a fascia lata graft to provide the musculo-fascial layer. This flap is simple and safe because it includes both the superficial circumflex iliac vessels and the perforating cutaneous branches of the lumbar vessels. We regard it as the method of choice in the repair of major defects of the lateral abdominal wall.

Effect of 24-hour ureteral obstruction on subsequent ischemic damage in rat kidney.

The effects of prior 24-hour ureteral obstruction on ischemic renal damage were studied in rats. Rats were divided into 6 groups with different times of ischemia (0, 60 and 90 min) and with or without 24-hour ureteral obstruction. Following a 4-week recovery period, contralateral nephrectomy was performed and the rat was sacrificed 24 h later for the determination of serum creatinine and for histologic examination of the affected kidney. A preceding ureteral obstruction for 24 h made no difference to the renal damage with 60 min of ischemia or without ischemia. However, kidneys with 90 min of ischemia and 24 h of ureteral obstruction were more damaged than those with 90 min of ischemia only. These results suggested that the hydronephrotic kidney was more susceptible to long periods of ischemia than the normal kidney.

Androgen receptor system in androgen-independent mouse tumor developed from androgen-dependent Shionogi carcinoma 115.

An androgen-independent spindle-shaped cell tumor (NHD) formed from androgen-dependent medullary Shionogi carcinoma (SC115) in DS mice was examined. Although NHD tumors transplanted in female or male mice exhibited almost the same growth speed, the cytosol of this tumor was found to contain an androgen receptor which was similar in binding characteristics to SC115 tumor. Although significant amounts of specific binding sites for testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone were found in the SC115 nuclei as well as in the NHD nuclei shortly after the injection of 3H-testosterone, the androgens in the NHD nuclei disappeared rapidly. The androgen-independency of this tumor may be attributed to a rapid dissociation of the androgen-receptor complexes from NHD nuclei.

Alteration of hexosaminidase isozymes in human renal carcinoma.

The activity and isozyme patterns of hexosaminidase in human renal carcinoma were studied in comparison with those of normal kidney. Hexosaminidase in extracts from normal kidney and renal carcinoma tissue could be separated into two major forms [hexosaminidase A (Hex A) and hexosaminidase B (Hex B)] by Cellogel electrophoresis or by diethylaminoethyl cellulose column chromatography. All of 10 renal carcinoma tissues showed a low activity ratio of Hex A to Hex B, as compared with the ratio in normal kidney; the ratio in renal carcinoma tissue was between 0.61 and 2.21 (mean, 1.30), while that in normal kidney was between 2.50 and 4.52 (mean, 3.46). Hexosaminidase activity and the ratio of Hex A to Hex B in renal carcinoma tissue were independent of the cell type and the differentiation grade of carcinoma tissue. Hex A and Hex B of renal carcinoma tissue differed from each other in physicochemical properties such as pH dependence of enzyme activity, thermostability, and Km's for two synthetic substrates, but each isozyme maintained its same physicochemical properties whether from normal or from carcinoma tissue. The isozyme patterns of cultured renal carcinoma cells and placenta were similar to those of the carcinoma tissue. The results presented here indicate that hexosaminidase isozymes in renal carcinoma tissue express at least oncoplacental patterns.