Trigonal sodium calcium germanate, Na(2.54)Ca(1.73)Ge(3)O(9).

Single crystals of a new germanate, Na(2.54)Ca(1.73)Ge(3)O(9), have been synthesized. The structure has a six-membered ring of GeO(4) tetrahedra, which is similar to the rings of the silicate analogue Na(2)Ca(2)Si(3)O(9), and both structures contain pseudo-cubic subcells with an edge length of 3.8 A. The details of the two compounds are slightly different, however. For example, two O atoms are statistically distributed about twofold axes in the title compound, while the silicate analogue has no such O-atom distributions. In addition, the title germanate has an extra partially populated metal site containing 54 (4)% Na, with no equivalent site in the silicate analogue.

Different recognition by peroxisome proliferator structures in rat peroxisomal induction: application of sandwich ELISA using monoclonal antibody against rat peroxisomes.

A novel assay for a peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzyme by sandwich ELISA using a monoclonal antibody (RPX-5) against purified rat liver peroxisomes was developed. Immunoblot analysis revealed that RPX-5 recognized a 78 Kd protein, which is a peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme (PBE) in the beta-oxidation pathway. Immunoprecipitation by RPX-5 and the resulting reduction of PBE activity were dependent on RPX-5 concentrations. Sandwich ELISA using RPX-5 could be used to assay PBE in the range of 30 to 2000 ng protein/ml. In rat hepatocyte cultures, the PBE amount by this assay correlated well with PBE activity, with correlation coefficients of 0.965. Studying the mechanisms of peroxisomal induction, patterns of peroxisomal induction were examined by co-treatment of rat hepatocytes with various peroxisome proliferators (PxPs). Treatment with clofibrate and bezafibrate resulted in neither an additive nor synergistic effect on PBE level. On the other hand, co-treatment with either bezafibrate-Wy-14,643 or clofibrate-MEHP(mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) both resulted in an additive effect. From these results, it is suggested that PxPs of the fibrate group may exert their functions via a common process, and non-fibrate PxPs via a different process in hepatocytes. The cognition site for peroxisome proliferators, therefore, might not involve a single site for inducing peroxisomal enzymes.

Frequency of abnormalities detected by abdominal ultrasound among Japanese adults.

Abdominal ultrasound examination was given to 715 (566 male and 149 female) adult non-manual workers in Tokyo as part of their annually required medical check-up. Gross abnormalities were found in 44.5% of males and 34.2% of females. The most common finding was fatty liver (15.2%), seen four times as frequently in males as in females. There were 93 elevated lesions in the gall-bladder in 56 subjects (7.8%); some required follow-up examinations because malignancy could not be excluded. Small cystic lesions were frequently seen in the kidney (6.4%) and in the liver (4.8%). Gallstones were found in 3.4%. Mild splenomegaly occurred in 3.4%. Ten mass lesions, 8 hyperechoic and 2 hypo-echoic, were found in the liver, but subsequent imaging studies showed them to be benign haemangiomas. Other changes found included calcific lesions in the liver (2.1%) and in the spleen (0.4%), renal stones (2.0%), thickened wall of the gall-bladder (3.2%), intramural stones (0.8%) and debris/sludge (0.4%) in the gall-bladder, dilated pancreatic duct (0.7%) and common bile duct (0.3%), liver cirrhosis (0.4%), hydronephrosis (0.1%), enlarged pancreas (0.1%), small pancreas (0.1%), ovarian tumour (0.1%), uterine tumour (0.1%), abnormally shaped kidney (0.1%) and situs inversus (0.1%). It was concluded that abdominal ultrasound is an important examination for a mass screening or a physical check-up commonly practised as the 'human dock' for adults in Japan.

[Clinical evaluation of SPECT in cerebrovascular disease].

In 131 patients with cerebrovascular disease, regional cerebral blood flow was determined by 123I-IMP (N-isopropyl (123I)-iodoamphetamine) or 99mTc-HM-PAO (99mTc (d, l)-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime) SPECT and findings were compared with those of X-CT or MRI. The perfusion deficit detected by SPECT was larger than the deficit by X-CT or MRI in every cases. The perfusion deficit area was more clearly demonstrated by SPECT than by X-CT or MRI in patients with acute cerebral infarction. The hypoperfusion area determined by 123I-IMP SPECT was wider than that by 99mTc-HM-PAO SPECT. The crossed cerebellar diaschisis was observed in 56 out of 131 cases (43%). The results of operation were quantitatively evaluated by 123I-IMP SPECT in 25 patients.

[Distribution of 67Ga-citrate in 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-induced hepatoma of rats].

The distribution of 67Ga-citrate in the hepatoma of rat induced by 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene was studied. 67Ga uptake ratio resected specimen, autoradiography and histological specimen were compared each other. 67Ga uptake ratio of the tumor was increased 1.6 to 7.2 times (average 4.4) to control group. Regardless of the size of the tumor, macroautoradiographically observed distribution of 67Ga-citrate in the hepatoma was higher in the peripheral zone than in the central zone. Histologically the degeneration of tumor cell was low or absent in the peripheral zone of tumor, whereas it was intense in the central zone. 67Ga-citrate was highly accumulated in the zone which the degeneration was low or absent. We, however, could not demonstrate the site where 67Ga-citrate was incorporated.