The Kitasato archives of experimental medicine最新文献

The glands of pelvis renalis in adult and fetal horses were examined by histochemically. The glandular terminal was divided into two types, intraepithelial gland (IE) and extraepithelial gland (EE) by their locations and histochemical characters. Both glands were composed of mucous cells. The former lay in the transitional epithelium and were stained reddish with galactose oxidase-Schiff (GOS) and mild oxidation-Schiff (MOS), bluish purple with periodic acid-cold thionine Schiff-NaOH-PAS (PCP). The latter distributed in the lamina propria, but was not discovered in the fetus. They were stained weak or negative with GOS and MOS, reddish purple with PCP. Their difference of histochemical character might be reflect to chemical structure of the sialic acid. These mucous cells may cope with the urine contents as hippuric acid.

In our studies, it was demonstrated for the first time that HTLV-I gag and pX, and env and pX antigens are the target antigens recognized by CD8+ CTL in association with RT-1k and RT-1l class I antigens, respectively, in the rat system. Furthermore, the gag-expressing rVV and the env-expressing rVV were shown to have the potential to induce HTLV-I-specific CTL in WKA and LEW rats, respectively. These results suggest that, in general, HTLV-I structural and non-structural antigens can be recognized by CTL, and their immunogenicity for the induction of HTLV-I-specific CTL may be influenced by host MHC. Successful vaccination of mice against retrovirus tumorigenicity with the viral structural components has been demonstrated. As was the case with polyoma virus-induced tumors, utilization of rVV vectors containing HTLV-I genes for potential HTLV-I vaccines in humans may become possible if target antigens recognized by each recipient CTL can be identified prior to vaccination. Another vaccine candidate will be a synthetic peptide containing each CTL epitope. We are currently identifying the CTL epitopes, and recent results indicate that a major CTL epitope on the env-gene product is located between the env amino acids 101-112 (Tanaka et al., manuscript in preparation).

Two different types of monoclonal human immunoglobulins (M-components) with antistreptolysin-O (ASO) activity were investigated. The M-component FM with essential monoclonal gammopathy revealed to have an ASO activity, demonstrated not only by streptolysin-O neutralizing assay according to Ranz-Randall's method, but also by passive agglutination assays and precipitation on agar. The ASO activity was shown to reside in the Feb. These findings suggest that the M-component FM have a true antibody activity. On the other hand, ASO activity of M-component TT with multiple myeloma was detected only by streptolysin-O neutralizing assay, but the passive agglutinating assays and precipitation on agar showed no positive results. It has not been fully confirmed if the M-component TT behaves as a true antibody activity. Heterogeneity of the M-components with ASO activity was discussed.

The effects of the chelating agents, L-cysteine ethyl ester (LCEE), L-cysteine methyl ester (LCME), N-acetyl-L-(+)-cysteine (NAC), 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS), N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (MPG), and 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), on the distribution, excretion and hepatotoxicity of ip injected hexavalent chromium were studied in male mice. The chelating agents (500 mg/kg) were injected iv as single doses given immediately or 30 min after potassium dichromate (20 mg Cr/kg) as hexavalent chromium was administered. When the chelating agents were injected immediately after the metal compound was administered, LCEE, LCME, NAC, DMPS, and MPG reduced the chromium contents in the liver and kidney, and facilitated the urinary excretion of chromium. The liver injury induced by chromium, which was evaluated by serum ornithine carbamyl transferase (OCT) activity, was prevented significantly by LCEE, LCME, DMPS, and MPG. On the other hand, when these chelating agents were injected at 30 min after the chromium administration, only DMSA could prevent the liver injury induced by the metal, and decreased the chromium contents in the liver. However, when DMSA was given at 3 hr after the metal administration, there was no therapeutic effect on them. These results suggest that the chelating agents tested may be useful in the treatment of intoxications due to hexavalent chromium, but there is the difference in the therapeutic effects of the chelating agents owing to the time intervals after the administration of the metal.

The qualitative and quantitative analytical methods were proposed for the simple and rapid determination of triacetin (TAc) in commercial gummy candies and other foodstuffs by gas chromatography (GC), thin layer chromatography (TLC) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Each extract from the samples was obtained by pretreatment of the foodstuffs as follows: (A) Gummy candy was dissolved in warm water and the solution was extracted with chloroform. The organic (chloroform) layer was separated. (B) Samples (such as ice cream) containing substantial water were mixed with anhydrous Na2SO4 and stirred to sandy appearance and dried. The residue was homogenized with ether, followed by centrifuging, and the organic (ether) layer was separated. (C) Dried samples (such as chocolate and cookie) were smashed, homogenized with ether, and followed by centrifuging, and the organic (ether) layer was separated. (D) Candy was dissolved in warm water and the solution was extracted with ether. The organic (ether) layer was separated. Each organic layer from (A)-(D) was washed with 10% NaHCO3 and evaporated. The residue containing TAc was dissolved in dichloromethane. The extract obtained was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel. The fractions containing TAc were employed in GC with 25% PEG-20M column, TLC, and IR analyses. Recovery of TAc from gummy candy was 99.1 +/- 3.0% and those from other foodstuffs ranged from was 82.1 to 99.4% by GC. Detection limit by this method was 10 ppm. TAc was found to contain at a level as high as 550 ppm in one domestic gummy candy. On the other hand, one imported gummy candy contained no more than 20 ppm of TAc gummy candy.