Complete nucleotide sequence of a new potexvirus, 'Cnidium virus X', isolated from Cnidium officinale in Japan.

A flexuous virus was detected in a Cnidium officinale plant in Japan showing mosaic symptoms. The virus was assigned to the genus Potexvirus based on analysis of its complete nucleotide sequence. The genomic RNA of the virus was 5,964 nucleotides in length, excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail. It contained five open reading frames (ORFs), consistent with other members of Potexvirus. The ORF sequences differ from those of previously reported potexviruses. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the polymerase of the virus is closely related to that of strawberry mild yellow edge virus; and the CP, to those of both yam virus X and vanilla virus X. We propose that this virus be designated as "cnidium virus X" (CnVX).

Positive association of free triiodothyronine with pancreatic ß-cell function in people with prediabetes.

AIM: To analyse the effects of thyroid hormones on ß-cell function and glucose metabolism in people with prediabetes who are euthyroid. METHODS: A total of 111 people who were euthyroid underwent 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests, of whom 52 were assigned to the normal glucose tolerance and 59 to the prediabetes groups. Homeostatic model assessment of ß-cell function, insulinogenic index and areas under the curve for insulin and glucose were evaluated as indices of pancreatic ß-cell function. RESULTS: In both groups, BMI, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment ratio and HDL cholesterol correlated significantly with all indices of pancreatic ß-cell function. Free triiodothyronine correlated positively with all insulin secretion indices in the prediabetes group. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that free triiodothyronine was an independent variable that had a positive correlation with all indices of ß-cell function in the prediabetes group. By contrast, no such correlation was found in the normal glucose tolerance group. CONCLUSIONS: Free triiodothyronine is associated with both basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in people with prediabetes who are euthyroid; therefore, the regulation of insulin secretion by thyroid hormones is a potentially novel therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes.

Molecular design, synthesis, and hypoglycemic activity of a series of thiazolidine-2,4-diones.

A series of imidazopyridine thiazolidine-2,4-diones were designed and synthesized from their corresponding pyridines. These compounds represent conformationally restricted analogues of the novel hypoglycemic compound rosiglitazone (5). The series was evaluated for its effect on insulin-induced 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation in vitro and its hypoglycemic activity in the genetically diabetic KK mouse in vivo. The structure-activity relationships are discussed. On the basis of the in vivo potency, 5-[4-(5-methoxy-3-methyl-3H-imidazo[4, 5-b]pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)benzyl]thiazolidine-2,4-dione (19a) was selected as the candidate for further studies in a clinical setting.

Regional myocardial sympathetic dysinnervation in patients with coronary vasospasm.

The purpose of this study was to assess the presence and location of impaired myocardial sympathetic innervation by using 123I metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I MIBG) in 15 patients with coronary vasospasm induced by intracoronary acetylcholine. The results were compared with those using thallium-201 (Tl-201). We also examined 14 patients with severe coronary stenosis (> 90%) and 8 control subjects without significant coronary stenosis (< 50%) and provokable coronary vasospasm. Regional myocardial sympathetic dysinnervation was detected by 123I MIBG single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in all patients with coronary vasospasm, despite normal uptake during Tl-201 SPECT. This regional uptake-mismatch between 123I MIBG and Tl-201 Spect occurred specifically in the vasospasm group (p < 0.001 vs stenosis and control groups). Moreover, regional myocardial sympathetic dysinnervation was located in the distribution of perfusion in 25 of the 27 vasospasm-induced vessels. Normal uptake of 123I MIBG was observed in the perfused areas in 16 of the 18 non-vasospasm-induced vessels. The sensitivity ans specificity of 123I MIBG for detection of coronary vasospasm were 92% and 88% respectively. In patients with coronary vasospasm, we found regional myocardial sympathetic dysinnervation to be present. Furthermore, we were able to distinguish these patients from patients with critical coronary stenosis by 123I MIBG and Tl-201 SPECT.

Effect of serum components on syncytium formation and virus production by cells infected with human immunodeficiency virus in vitro.

Previously it has been reported that cocultivation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected cells with uninfected cells results in formation of multinuclear giant cells, generated via an interaction of gp120 on the surface of infected cells with CD4 on the uninfected cells. Formation of multinuclear giant cells as occurring in the presence of normal fetal calf serum was not observed when HIV-infected MOLT-4 or MOLT-3 cells (chronically infected with HTLV-IIIB) and uninfected cells were cocultured in both serum-free medium and fibrinogen-depleted serum. Addition of sera (human and rabbit) as well as of fibrinogen (human and bovine), fibronectin (human), and alpha-globulin (human), but not of albumin, transferrin or gamma-globulin to serum-free medium caused formation of multinuclear giant cells. In contrast, HIV production from MOLT-3 cells proceeds also in the absence of serum. In control experiments it was established that the cells maintained at reduced serum concentration, or in serum-free medium without or with fibrinogen are viable even though displaying a lower metabolic rate (ATP formation and DNA synthesis). From these findings we conclude that serum components (e.g., fibrinogen, fibronectin, and alpha-globulin) are absolutely required for syncytium formation but are not essential for virus release.

Renal dopamine spillover rate using 3H-dopamine radiotracer technique as an index of renal dopaminergic nerve activity.

Renal and total dopamine (DA) spillover rates at rest were measured in 25 conscious rabbits with chronically implanted renal vein catheters. Renal DA spillover rate was calculated from veno-arterial difference in plasma free DA concentrations across the kidney corrected by the fractional extraction of infused 3H-DA. Plasma free DA concentrations were 11.0 +/- 2.7 pg/ml in the artery and 14.3 +/- 3.6 in the renal vein. Renal and total DA spillover rates were 0.51 +/- 0.08, 2.61 +/- 0.30 ng/min, respectively, both of which were significantly (p < 0.001) lower than the respective norepinephrine (NE) spillover rates (renal: 16.3 +/- 1.4, total: 39.6 +/- 1.7). The fractional extraction of 3H-DA across the kidney (55 +/- 3%) and the total DA clearance (285 +/- 31 ml/min) were both significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of 3H-NE (45 +/- 3) and the total NE clearance (198 +/- 9), respectively. The ratio of renal to the total spillover rate of DA (0.23 +/- 0.05) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of NE (0.41 +/- 0.04). These results demonstrate that DA is released into plasma within the kidney and suggest that the measurement of renal DA spillover rate using 3H-DA radiotracer technique is useful to detect resting renal dopaminergic nerve activity.

Limited flow capacity of the right gastroepiploic artery graft: postoperative echocardiographic and angiographic evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The flow capacity of the right gastroepiploic artery graft has not been clarified. METHODS: Angiographic and echocardiographic studies were conducted in 30 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting using both the internal thoracic and right gastroepiploic arteries. The luminal diameter of the arterial grafts was measured from the postoperative angiograms. The adequacy of the myocardial blood supply from the arterial grafts was evaluated by dobutamine stress echocardiography. RESULTS: With echocardiography, 14 patients exhibited an ischemic response in the gastroepiploic artery grafted region, whereas no patients exhibited an ischemic response in the internal thoracic artery grafted area. The luminal diameter of the gastroepiploic artery and a younger age were correlated with the ischemic response observed in the dobutamine stress echocardiography. A luminal diameter of the gastroepiploic artery of greater than 2.6 mm had the highest sensitivity and specificity for a nonischemic change. CONCLUSIONS: To generate the maximal flow reserve, the luminal diameter of the gastroepiploic artery when used as a graft should be sufficiently large enough, nearly 3 mm at the anastomosis.

Adequacy of flow capacity of bilateral internal thoracic artery T graft.

BACKGROUND: With the T graft configuration, multiple arterial revascularization can be accomplished using bilateral internal thoracic arteries. However, concern remains about the flow capacity of the main stem of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA). METHODS: Forty patients who underwent multiple revascularization of the entire territory of the left coronary system with a T graft were investigated. Six months after the operation, they were examined angiographically. During the same period, dobutamine stress echocardiography was performed to evaluate the adequacy of the myocardial blood supply from the T graft. The T graft revascularized two branches in 5 patients, three branches in 23, four branches in 11, and five branches in 1 of the left coronary system. Other conduits were used if revascularization was required for the right coronary system. RESULTS: Complete revascularization was achieved in the left coronary territory in all patients. The LITA main stem showed a wide lumen in all patients. Luminal narrowing was present in the distal segment of the LITA in 3 patients. The right internal thoracic artery (RITA) was patent in all patients, whereas luminal narrowing was observed in the distal segment of the RITA in 5 patients. No patient exhibited ischemic wall motion abnormality in the anteroseptal, lateral, or posterolateral region of the left ventricle where the T graft revascularized. Eight patients showed ischemic response in the inferoposterior region, that is, the territory of the right coronary artery. CONCLUSIONS: The LITA main stem, forming a T-graft configuration with the free RITA, has an adequate flow reserve to supply at least the entire left coronary arterial system with sufficient blood. Therefore, multiple coronary revascularization using the T-graft technique is feasible.

Removal of HIV antigens and HIV-infected cells in vitro using immunomagnetic beads.

Human anti-HIV antibody-coated magnetic beads and magnetic particle concentrators were used to eliminate HIV antigens and the infected cells in vitro. Fifty micrograms/ml of the antibody coated on 30 mg/ml of tosyl-activated beads, and 10 min of reaction time between the antigens and the immunobeads were sufficient to eliminate the virus antigens from phosphate buffered saline, serum and peripheral blood. HIV-infected cells were eliminated in vitro, but not completely. This method will be useful in eliminating viral antigens and infected cells from clinical material such as blood and blood products.

Midday exposure to bright light changes the circadian organization of plasma melatonin rhythm in humans.

Effects of bright light exposure at midday were examined on plasma melatonin rhythm in humans under controlled living conditions. Bright light of 5000 1x was provided from the ceiling at midday (1100-1700 h) for 3 consecutive days and the circadian rhythm in plasma melatonin was determined from the fourth to fifth day. The control study was performed in the same subjects who spend four days under dim light conditions (less than 200 1x). The subjects were allowed to sleep from 2400 to 0800 h. The onset phase, but not the end phase, of plasma melatonin rhythm was significantly phase-advanced by bright light exposure. Furthermore, the area under the curve of nocturnal melatonin rise was significantly larger under bright light exposure than under dim light. These findings indicate that midday exposure to bright light for 3 consecutive days changes the circadian organization of plasma melatonin rhythm in humans.

Paradoxical motion of the posterior left ventricular wall seen in healthy subjects in the upright position.

Paradoxical motion of the posterior left ventricular wall in patients in the upright but not in the supine position was demonstrated in a high percentage of normal volunteers. There was no significant difference in age, body surface area, heart rate, and blood pressure between the groups, with or without paradoxical motion. This echocardiographic finding probably represents a physiologic phenomenon and should be taken into consideration during the interpretation of upright exercise echocardiograms.

Detection of porcine rotavirus in stools by a latex agglutination test.

We developed a simple agglutination test for the detection of porcine rotavirus in stools from pigs with diarrhea. The virus was detected with high sensitivity and specificity by a slide agglutination test using latex particles coated with antibody against the porcine rotavirus strain OSU (LA-antiOSU). The agglutination of LA-antiOSU with OSU on a glass slide was evident macroscopically within 2 min. The sensitivity of this latex agglutination (LA) test was four times higher than that of the electron microscope method. The LA test is available for the rapid diagnosis of porcine rotavirus infections.

Symptomatic generalized epilepsy associated with an inverted duplication of chromosome 15.

An inverted duplication of chromosome 15 (inv dup[15] chromosome) is the most common supernumerary marker chromosome in humans. Inv dup(15) chromosomes are commonly associated with mental retardation, epilepsy, behavioral problems and structural malformations. Though epilepsies associated with inv dup(15) chromosomes are often intractable, there have been very few reports regarding the seizure manifestations or types. We report a patient with severe mental retardation and intractable epilepsy, associated with an inv dup(15) chromosome. The seizures recorded with EEG-VTR monitoring were axial and generalized tonic seizures, and our case was diagnosed as symptomatic generalized epilepsy. Molecular and cytogenetic analysis showed an inv dup(15) chromosome containing the Prader-Willi syndrome/Angelman syndrome region mapped within bands 15q 11-q13.

A comparison of post-ictal headache between patients with occipital lobe epilepsy and temporal lobe epilepsy.

We investigated post-ictal headaches (PIH) using a questionnaire to ascertain their characteristics and compare them among different types of epilepsy. The subjects consisted of 34 patients with occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) and 75 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). PIH occurred in 62% of OLE and 23% of TLE (P < 0.05). The quality of pain in PIH was 'steady' in 71% of OLE and 29% of TLE (P < 0.05) as opposed to 'pounding'. Other factors, such as frequency, severity, duration, and accompanying symptoms showed no significant differences. We found very few patients with migraine-like headaches. Analyses of clinical factors, such as age at onset, duration of epilepsy, seizure frequency, family history of headache, and interictal headache did not reveal any relationship to PIH, although generalized tonic-clonic seizures are associated with PIH in TLE (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the nature of PIH may be different between OLE and TLE, and that the region of epileptic focus or spreading area of epileptic discharge may have a close relation to the induction of PIH. An association with migraine, which has been reported previously, was unclear in our study.

Effect of Walker 256 tumor growth on intestinal absorption of leucine, methionine and glucose in newly weaned and mature rats.

In tumor-bearing rats, most of the serum amino acids are used for synthesis and oxidation processes by the neoplastic tissue. In the present study, the effect of Walker 256 carcinoma growth on the intestinal absorption of leucine, methionine and glucose was investigated in newly weaned and mature rats. Food intake and carcass weight were decreased in newly weaned (NT) and mature (MT) rats bearing Walker 256 tumor in comparison with control animals (NC and MC). The tumor/carcass weight ratio was higher in NT than in MT rats, whereas nitrogen balance was significantly decreased in both as compared to control animals. Glucose absorption was significantly reduced in MT rats (MT = 47.3 +/- 4.9 vs MC = 99.8 +/- 5.3 nmol min-1 cm-1, Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.05) but this fact did not hamper the evolution of cancer. There was a significant increase in methionine absorption in both groups (NT = 4.2 +/- 0.3 and MT = 2.0 +/- 0.1 vs NC = 3.7 +/- 0.1 and MC = 1.2 +/- 0.2 nmol min-1 cm-1, Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.05), whereas leucine absorption was increased only in young tumor-bearing rats (NT = 8.6 +/- 0.2 vs NC = 7.7 +/- 0.4 nmol min-1 cm-1, Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.05), suggesting that these metabolites are being used for synthesis and oxidation processes by the neoplastic cells, which might ensure their rapid proliferation especially in NT rats.

Toxicity of heavy metals and insecticides on slime mold Physarum polycephalum.

Toxicity of heavy metals and insecticides on the slime mold Physarum polycephalum was investigated in order to examine and estimate with ease the toxicity of environmental and occupational contaminants and also to study the effects of various agents on the cell membrane. Changes in survival time and in membrane potential of the slime mold were measured using a double chamber method. The results obtained suggest that their toxicity for the slime mold is accompanied by some change in the cell membrane, and that studies on toxicity for various chemical substances in the slime mold can be used as a screening method.

Malignant histiocytosis in cattle.

Malignant histiocytosis was diagnosed in 4 cows. In all cases the tumor tissues were composed of cytologically atypical histiocytes with evidence of erythrophagocytosis. The tumor in case 1 appeared highly anaplastic with marked nuclear pleomorphism, and had areas of spindle cell differentiation, but had no relation to malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The neoplastic tissue in case 2, characterized by cohesive growth of tumor cells, was distinguishable from anaplastic carcinoma cells by cytokeratin immunostaining. There were many hemosiderin-laden neoplastic cells suggestive of high phagocytic activity in a lymph node of case 3. The neoplastic cells in case 4, frequently multinucleated, were less atypical than in the other cases. All cases expressed histiocyte-associated markers (lysozyme and HAM56), and were negative for cytokeratin, S100, and T- and B-cell lineage-specific markers (CD3 and CD79a). The most frequent HAM56 immunoreactivity was detected in case 4, and the giant, multinucleated forms, reminiscent of epithelioid cell differentiation. seemed not to indicate cytological pleomorphism as a result of neoplastic transformation.

Hypothenar hammer syndrome in workers occupationally exposed to vibrating tools.

Among 330 vibration-exposed workers, 24 cases of hypothenar hammer syndrome in 29 hands were diagnosed by arteriography. The right hand was involved in 13, the left hand in six, and both hands in five cases. The mean age was 55 years, mean duration of vibration exposure 19.4 years, and mean duration of episodic Raynaud's phenomenon 6.4 years. The vascular lesions of the ulnar arteries were classified into three major types with subtypes. Type 1: stenosis of the superficial palmar arch around the hook of the hamate. Type 2a: occlusion of the superficial palmar arch around the hook of the hamate. Type 2b: occlusion of both superficial and deep palmar arches around the hook of the hamate. Type 3a: occlusion of the ulnar artery at the proximal part of the wrist. Type 3b: occlusion of the ulnar artery near the wrist with the occlusion of the dorsal carpal branch of the ulnar artery.

Demonstration of double-chambered right ventricle on myocardial perfusion SPECT.

A 19-year-old man with a double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) and an associated ventricular septal defect was admitted to the hospital for surgical correction. Preoperative study of myocardial perfusion with Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT depicted the two chambers of the right ventricle. There was a substantial differential in the radioactive uptake between these two chambers. The inflow and outflow chambers with different peak-pressures (94 and 18 mm Hg) showed different uptakes reflecting the pressure difference, which was intense in the inflow chamber and weak in the outflow.

Occlusive arterial diseases of the upper and lower extremities found in workers occupationally exposed to vibrating tools.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is primarily a disorder of the fingers and hands. However, in some cases, vibration-exposed workers are observed to have also episodic blanching of the hands and feet. In latter cases, arteriographies of both the upper and lower extremities are necessary to diagnose the background arterial disorders. In this study, eight HAVS subjects with such disorders were examined by arteriography for differential diagnosis in cases of workers' accident compensation. In three HAVS cases with thromboangiitis obliterans, the arteriographic examination revealed obstructive changes in the palm and forearm as well as three below-knee lesions in the lower extremities. In five HAVS cases with arteriosclerosis obliterans, obstruction kinking or coiling, stenosis and/or tapering-off of the proper digital arteries were observed together with two below-knee lesions and three high lesions in the lower extremities. From the viewpoint of occupational health, palpation of superficial arteries of both the upper and lower extremities should be routinely performed during both pre-placement and periodic medical examinations for workers exposed to vibrating tools for early detection and/or prevention of any worsening of the background disorders.