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Volume 34, Issue 1
Displaying 1-5 of 5 articles from this issue
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IS HUMAN THYMUS RETROVIRUS A PATHOGENIC VIRUS FOR HUMAN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES?AKIRA ONO, MINORU MORITA, KAZUHIRO OBI, SHUNZO KONDO, MASAHARU TSUCHIY ...1985 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 1-16
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: March 27, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe involvement of retroviruses has been shown in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity in animal models of autoimmune diseases. Changes in the thymus gland are frequently found in a variety of human autoimmune diseases. Abnormal B cell proliferation are observed in such autoimmune thymuses. We cultured thymus cells of autoimmune patients with B cells and observed the appearance of retrovirus particles in the cultured thymus cells. Antibodies to the retrovirus-related antigens were detected in sera of patients with autoimmune diseases. The findings suggest the possibility that activated retroviruses in thymus cells of autoimmune patients may be involved in the pathogenesis of human autoimmune diseases.View full abstractDownload PDF (8051K) -
HAYATO MIYACHI, YUZURU TAKEMURA, KEISUKE TOYAMA, TOSHIAKI HIGASHI1985 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 17-23
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: March 27, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe pretreatment characteristics of 85 adults with acute leukemia who were treated at Keio University Hospital between 1973 and March 1983 have been evaluated to assess their value as prognostic indicators. Three factors were found to be associated with probability of obtaining a complete remission. We confirmed characteristics previously known to provide prognostic information such as morphology, temperature status and hemoglobin level using the chi-square test. A linear correlation was found between serum lactic dehydrogenase level and blood cell counts, and between platelet counts and nucleated cell counts in the bone marrow.View full abstractDownload PDF (322K) -
SEIICHI YASUDA, YOSHIO TAKINO, JUNICHI TAKAHASHI1985 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 25-29
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: March 27, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe effects of epidural morphine on the postoperative urinary excretion of catecholamines were studied in patients who underwent upper abdominal surgery. Either preservative-free morphine, 2 mg in 20 ml of saline (morphine group) or 20 ml of normal saline (saline group) was injected epidurally through a catheter placed in the space between Th 7-8 during surgery. Urine samples were collected just after induction and 5 hours postoperatively. Catecholamines were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography and expressed as ng/mg urinary creatinine (Cr).
In the saline group there was an increase in the excretion of postoperative norepinephrine and epinephrine, changing from 80.8±38.6 (Mean±SD) ng/mg Cr to 108.9±49.6 ng/mg Cr (P<0.05) and from 22.1±15.7 ng/mg Cr to 59.3±41.5 ng/mg Cr (P<0.05), respectively. In the morphine group, by contrast, no significant changes in catecholamine excretion were observed.
The present study indicates that postoperative pain relief with the use of epidural morphine suppresses the increase of sympathoadrenal activity. This procedure may be advocated in patients with poor cardiac reserve in whom avoidance of increased myocardial workload is a major consideration.View full abstractDownload PDF (252K) -
MASAYUKI SHINODA1985 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 31-45
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: March 27, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSA pharmacological manipulation of testicular function in rats was attempted to increase our understanding on pathogenesis of male infertility, thereby establishing a rationale in management of male infertility. The testicular functions in rats were evaluated after the treatment with kallikrein (KAL) or other agents in the light of testicular blood flow (TBF) by hydrogen gas clearance method, responsiveness of Leydig cells upon gonadotropin stimulation and androgenbinding protein (ABP) by steady state polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
TBF in rats was significantly increased either by the treatment with KAL (29.2±1.7) or hydralazine (HLZ)(27.2±1.7) as compared with the control (17.5±1.5ml/min/100g tissue)(p<0.01). Neither basal testosterone level nor responsiveness of Leydig cells on gonadotropin stimulation was affected by KAL.
Significantly higher binding capacity of ABP in the testicular cytosole of rats (0.26±0.01) was noted with the KAL treatment as compared with either the control (0.21±0.01) or the HLZ treatment (0.22±0.02pmol/mg protein)(p<0.01). These results indicated that KAL activated the Sertoli cell function independent of TBF.
Based on the results of experimental studies, the kallikrein treatment for oligospermic patients without varicocele and for those with varicocele who failed to improve the semen quality after varicocelectomy was attempted.
Thirty-nine per cent of oligospermic patients without varicocele showed two-fold increase in sperm density after the KAL treatment. Two-fold increase in sperm density was also noted in 45% of patients treated by varicocelectomy only, and in 55% by the treatment with KAL in patients who failed to be improved by varicocelectomy.
Conclusion: Kallikrein activates the Sertoli cell function. Because the Sertoli cell dysfunction shares to some extent the basic pathogenesis of male infertility, a pharmacological manipulation of Sertoli cells (i.e. KAL treatment) can be attempted as a treatment for male infertility with varicocele.View full abstractDownload PDF (748K) -
SHIGERU TADOKORO1985 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 47-59
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: March 27, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn order to determine whether the analysis of actin, a cytoskeletal protein, can be useful to predict the growth pattern and invasiveness of bladder carcinoma, intracellular concentration and structural states of actin were examined in five established cell lines derived from human bladder carcinomas of different pathological grades (KU7: grade 1, KU1: grade 2, T24: grade 3, MGH-UI, NBT-2: grade 4), in surgically obtained cancer cells from patients with bladder carcinoma, and in cells from normal transitional epithelium of the bladder.
Distribution of actin in the cytoplasm of above mentioned cells was successfully observed by immunofluorescent technique utilizing anti-actin monoclonal antibody. Concentration of actin in the cells was determined by DNAase I inhibition assay and by a densitometrical measurement after electrophoretic separation of the cell component. Distribution of fibronectin (FN) and cell surface receptor of concanavarin A (con A) were also assessed by immunofluorescent technique.
The results revealed that aggregated fluorescent bundles, i.e. stress fibers (SFs), were clearly seen in KU7 and T24 cells, and surgically obtained cells from patients with low grade carcinoma, whereas only diffusely distributed fluorescence was observed in NBT-2 cells and surgical specimens from high grade carcinoma.
Concentrations of actin in cultured cell lines, KU7, KU1, T24, MGH-UI and NBT-2, were 38.1±4.0, 37.0±1.0, 34.5±1.0, 32.1±0.5, 25.2±0.7 (mean±SD μg/mg protein), respectively, while those of surgical specimens of normal bladder epithelial cells, non invasive bladder carcinoma cells, and invasive bladder carcinoma cells were 65.0±3.4, 52.8±5.2, 35.4±4.4 (mean±SD μg/mg protein), respectively. Thus, high grade bladder carcinoma cells showed lower concentrations of actin compared with those of low grade bladder carcinoma cells. Distribution of cell surface FN and rate of capping of con A receptors were well correlated with the intracellular concentration of actin and the configuration of SFs.
These results indicate that determination of intracellular concentration of actin provides a new modality to characterize the biological behaviors, i.e. the growth pattern and invasivness, of bladder carcinoma.View full abstractDownload PDF (5726K)
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