Effect of rectal administration of rebamipide on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis: role of hepatocyte growth factor.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Since rebamipide is effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), we examined the involvement of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the action of rebamipide. MATERIALS: Fifty-five and forty female Balb/c mice, respectively, were used in Exp. 1 and 2. TREATMENT: 50 mg/kg/day rebamipide (Exp. 1) and 1 x 10(7) pfu pAxCAHGF (the CAG promoter-driving HGF gene in adenovirus vector) (Exp. 2) were intrarectally introduced after induction of colitis by 4 % dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). METHODS: Therapeutic effects were assessed by cell proliferation and apoptosis. RESULTS: Rebamipide caused proliferation of epithelial cells at 10 days after treatment, and decreased apoptosis at 10, 14 and 21 days, compared with controls. Expression of HGF was greatly increased in rebamipide-treated mice. pAxCAHGF caused cell proliferation and apoptosis, which showed the same pattern as with rebamipide treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Rectal administration of rebamipide is effective for DSS-induced colitis in association with induction of HGF.

Observation of giant resonance phenomena in the two-step mechanism of electron-Xe collision.

We report an (e,2e) binding energy spectrum of Xe obtained at an impact energy of 2.1 keV, which covers the binding energy range up to 220 eV. The result is directly compared with data from high-energy photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that an (e,2e)-specific, very broad band appears at around 120 eV, although in other energy regions the binding energy spectra by the two methods are in good agreement. The presence of such a band is revealed for the first time, which can be attributed to the second-order effects of the electron-target interaction that involves giant resonance phenomena of the Xe 4d electron.

A survey on awareness and utilization of new asthma management guidelines in Japan.

The present questionnaire survey, designed to interview Japanese internists and pediatricians who were specialists or nonspecialists in allergy or asthma, was conducted to determine the acceptance of "Asthma Prevention and Management Guidelines 1998" 1 year after release. The surveyor visited each physician and used the questionnaire form at the interview. Replies were obtained from a total of 5,963 physicians. The percentage of physicians who were aware of the guidelines was 96% among specialists and 68% among nonspecialists. Among the internists who were aware of the guidelines, the percentage of physicians giving a reply of "I refer to them often" or "I refer to them" in the actual diagnosis and management of asthma was 95% among specialists and 92% among nonspecialists. Therefore, reference was very high. Except for nonspecialists among pediatricians, not less than 60% of physicians expected that propagation of the present guidelines would allow a further decrease in asthma death and further improvement of patient's quality of life. The present survey revealed an increase in guideline awareness over the last several years, which was especially marked in nonspecialists. Furthermore, high reference and high expectancy also verified that physicians recognize the contents of the present guidelines as appropriate.

Resonant double excitation observed in the near-threshold evolution of the photoexcited F K alpha satellite intensity in NaF.

We present a precise measurement of the photoexcited F K alpha satellite intensity's evolution for NaF from [1s2p] double excitation threshold to saturation. A direct comparison between the observed evolution and the x-ray absorption spectrum was successfully made, and the contribution of multielectron transitions to the absorption spectrum was clearly resolved for the first time. A resonance-like feature observed in the near-threshold evolution is attributed to the [1s2p]3p(2) resonant double excitation as confirmed by calculations.

Li K-edge spectra of lithium halides.

We measured the Li K-edge spectra of lithium halides by means of total electron yield method (TEY), using the soft x-ray Beam Line 2 (BL2) of the compact synchrotron radiation facility at Ritsmeikan University in Japan. In lithium halides, the spectra have a sharp peak at about 60eV and a broad peak at the higher energy side. Various peak structures that appear in the absorption spectra are assigned to the corresponding Li-1s to valence band free orbitals transitions, which have been calculated by the Discrete Variational (DV)-Xalpha molecular orbital calculation method.

Structure and Bond Nature of the UF(5) Monomer.

The structure and bond nature for the ground state of the UF(5) monomer have been investigated by means of relativistic and nonrelativistic discrete-variational (DV) Xalpha molecular orbital (MO) methods. It is found that the nonrelativistic calculation provides only less than half of the U-F bond overlap population obtained by the relativistic calculation for the monomer with the C(4)(v)() geometry which was determined experimentally. Comparison of the U-F bond overlap population and valence level structures between the C(4)(v)() and D(3)(h)() geometries indicates that the stability of the D(3)(h)() monomer is almost equal to that of the C(4)(v)() one. Furthermore, it is confirmed that an intermediate structure (C(2)(v)()) between the two geometries shows similar values of effective charge, orbital, and bond overlap populations. This suggests that the energy barrier between the D(3h) and C(4)(v)() geometries is very small and the geometry of the UF(5) monomer is fluxional between the C(4)(v)() and D(3)(h)() symmetries. This is consistent with the previous results reported by the Hartree-Fock method with relativistic effective core potentials [Wadt, W. R.; Hay, P. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1979, 101, 5198]. The flexibility of the UF(5) structure originates from the fact that the U 5f atomic orbitals, which play a major role in the U-F bonding interactions, spread with wide angular distributions of the electrons in hybridization with the U 6d atomic orbital.

[Correlation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) responsiveness by egg white-stimulated lymphocytes with hen egg oral provocation test in atopic children].

One hundred and twenty five cases of atopic children such as atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma were orally provocated with rare hen egg every 20 minutes one by one upto the whole amount. In one week observation 75 cases showed any symptoms of allergy including eruption and exacerbation of atopic eczema in an immediate, late, and/or delayed responses. Frequency of positive egg white-induce IL-2 responsiveness test in patients with positive oral provocation was 90.7% (68 out of 75 cases; sensitivity). That of negative test in patients with negative provocation was 84.0% (42 out of 50 cases; specificity). In contrast, specificity of IgE RAST for egg white were 88.0% comparable to the value of antigen-specific IL-2 responsiveness (AIR) test, but the specificity was lower value (37.3%) for screening the etiological antigens as compared to that of AIR test. High frequency of positive egg white-induced IL-2 responsiveness test was observed over an immediate, late and delayed responses, while low frequency of positive IgE RAST for hen egg was observed largely in patients showing delayed but not immediate response. The results indicate that IgE RAST in this study reflects IgE-mediated immediate type hypersensitivity, whereas AIR test reflects, in addition to immediate responses, late and delayed type hypersensitivity. The combined results suggest that AIR test in hen egg allergy is a useful method in vitro for both screening and determining etiological allergens, and might be able to substitute for provocation test in vivo for which many times, labours, expenses, and patients' risks are required, and to cover IgE RAST which fails to determine etiological allergens in 62.7% of patients with positive oral provocation.

[IgE production and gene expression of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma by peripheral mononuclear cells in asthmatic children].

In asthmatic children without he egg allergy, spontaneous IgE production of PBMC showed 1.27 +/- 0.28 IU/ml (Mean +/- SE) and IgE production of Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) stimulated PBMC after which IFN-gamma decreased to 0.89 +/- 0.23 IU/ml (Mean +/- SE) (p < 0.001). IgE production of Ovalbumin (OVA) stimulated PBMC after which IFN-gamma showed no decrease. In asthmatic children with hen egg allergy, IgE production of OVA stimulated PBMC and IFN-gamma decreased to 1.0 +/- 0.52 IU/ml (Mean +/- SE). In spontaneous IgE production it was 1.61 +/- 0.91 IU/ml. (p < 0.05). IL-4 mRNA was expressed in spontaneous PBMC in asthmatic children, but not in healthy non atopic children. The expression of IL-4 mRNA was suppressed in Df stimulated PBMC followed by IFN-gamma in asthmatic children. In asthmatic children, IFN-gamma mRNA were expressed in Df stimulated PBMC after which IFN-gamma. And simultaneously IgE production in Df stimulated PBMC were suppressed by addition of IFN-gamma.