Volatile chlorinated organic compound levels in rain water from Kobe City in Japan.
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Chromatography, Gas↗
Biomedical subjects
A Adachi
Publications and source records attributed to A Adachi.
Electron-microscopic investigations of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-like immunoreactive terminal formations in the lateral septum of the pigeon.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-like immunoreactive terminal fields were examined in the lateral septum of the pigeon by means of immunocytochemistry. According to light-microscopic observations, these projections originated from VIP-like immunoreactive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons, which are located in the ependymal layer of the lateral septum and form a part of the lateral septal organ. The processes of these cells gave rise to dense terminal-like structures in the lateral septum. Pre-embedding immuno-electron microscopy revealed that VIP-like immunoreactive axon terminals had synaptoid contacts with perikarya of small VIP-immunonegative neurons of the lateral septum, which were characterized by an invaginated nucleus, numerous mitochondria, a well-developed Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum and a small number of dense-core vesicles (about 100 nm in diameter). VIP-like immunoreactive axons were also seen in contact with immunonegative dendrites in the lateral septum. In both axosomatic and axodendritic connections, VIP-like immunoreactive presynaptic terminals contained large dense-core vesicles, clusters of small vesicles and mitochondria. These findings suggest that VIP-immunoreactive neurons of the lateral septal organ project to small, presumably peptidergic nerve cells of the lateral septum and that the VIP-like neuropeptide serves as a neuromodulator (-transmitter) in this area.
Animals↗
Neural responses of rat area postrema to stimuli producing nausea.
To identify a neuron within the area postrema (AP) that participates in producing nausea, neural responses of the rat AP to noxious, excessive distension of the stomach were recorded electrophysiologically under urethane-chloralose anesthesia. There were two types of the neural responses; one is characterized by increasing the frequency of discharges responding to the stomach distension (excitatory type), while the other shows the opposite response (decreasing the frequency) to the same stimulation (inhibitory type). After this identification, the effect of LiCl or apomorphine superfused on the floor of IVth ventricle was examined to ascertain a convergence of afferents responding to chemical (LiCl or apomorphine) as well as mechanical noxious stimulation (stomach distension) on the same AP neuron. It was revealed that the rat AP involves multimodality neurons responsive to various emetic stimuli, so indicating their participation in producing nausea.
Animals↗
Effects of gastric distension and electrical stimulation of dorsomedial medulla on neurons in parabrachial nucleus of rats.
The effects of gastric distension and electrical stimulation of the dorsomedial medulla on neurons within the parabrachial nucleus (PB) were investigated electrophysiologically in urethane-chloralose anesthetized rats. Among 74 neurons tested, electrical stimulation of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) excited 30 neurons (excitatory neurons) and inhibited 14 neurons (inhibitory neurons). Fourteen neurons increased and 12 neurons decreased their discharge rates in response to gastric distension. Twenty-two neurons responded to both electrical stimulation of the NTS and gastric distension. Both excitatory and inhibitory neurons showed either an increase or a decrease in discharge rate responding to gastric distension. Furthermore, three neurons that decreased their discharge rates and two neurons that increased their discharge rates during gastric distension also responded to intravenous administration of metaraminol indicating some effect of baroreceptor activation on the neural activity. The responses of another 49 neurons in the PB to electrical stimulation of area postrema and gastric distension were analyzed. Electrical stimulation of the AP excited 14 neurons and inhibited only one neuron. Five neurons increased and seven neurons decreased their discharge rates in response to gastric distension. Only one inhibitory neuron responded to gastric distension. These observations suggested that the PB neurons received gastric mechanoreceptive inputs from the NTS.
Animals↗
Childhood bullous pemphigoid: immunohistochemical, immunoelectron microscopic, and western blot analysis.
The most reliable diagnostic criteria of childhood bullous pemphigoid (BP) have been the linear deposition of IgG and C3 at the basement membrane zone (BMZ) and the frequent presence of circulating IgG BMZ antibodies. To characterize further the immunologic features of childhood BP, we performed direct and indirect immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) and Western immunoblotting on specimens from a 3-month-old boy with BP who had immunofluorescence evidence of linear BMZ IgG and C3 deposition and circulating IgG BMZ antibody. By direct IEM, autoantibody deposits were seen in the upper portion of the lamina lucida and on the undersurface of basal keratinocytes. Indirect IEM showed that the binding sites of BP antibody were closely related to the intracellular attachment plaques of hemidesmosomes. By Western blotting, the patient's serum recognized 180 kd epidermal protein.
Autoantibodies↗
Growth ability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 auxiliary gene mutants in primary blood macrophage cultures.
A strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that is strictly tropic for primary human blood cell cultures was constructed in vitro. Mutational studies on the vif, vpr, vpu and nef genes of this virus were performed to evaluate their biological functions in natural target cells. For this purpose, replication properties of mutant viruses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and macrophages (PBMPs) were determined. Three phenotypes with respect to virus replication were noticed: normal or mildly retarded growth (nef and vpr mutants), impaired growth (vpu mutant), and no growth (vif mutant). These results suggest that the Vif and Vpu proteins are more important than the Nef and Vpr proteins for virus replication in PBMCs and PBMPs.
Cell Line↗
Human immunodeficiency virus Vpx is required for the early phase of replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Functional importance of Vpx protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 was evaluated in various types of cells. In 8 lymphocytic or monocytic cell lines tested, vpx mutant virus grew as well as wild-type virus. Only in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures, severely retarded growth of mutant virus was observed. No replication of vpx-minus virus was detected in primary macrophage cells. A highly sensitive single-round replication assay system was used to determine the defective replication phase in primary mononuclear cells of vpx mutant virus. In all cell lines examined, vpx mutant displayed no abnormality. In contrast, the vpx mutant was demonstrated to be defective at an early stage of the infection cycle in primary cell cultures. No evidence of a replication-defect at a late phase in primary cells of the vpx mutant was obtained by a transfection-coculture method. These results indicate that the virion-associated Vpx protein is essential for early viral replication process in natural target cells such as primary macrophages.
Cell Line↗
Effect of topical administration of glucose on neurons innervating abdominal viscera in dorsal motor nucleus of vagus in rats.
Neural responses in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) to topical administration of glucose were investigated electrophysiologically using multibarrel electrodes in anesthetized rats. Of 52 neurons that showed the antidromic response to the ventral gastric vagus, 4 neurons increased and 14 neurons decreased their discharge rates in response to topical administration of glucose from the multibarrel pipette. Thirty-four neurons did not respond to this administration. Of 4 neurons that showed the antidromic response to the accessory celiac vagus, 1 neuron increased and 1 neuron decreased their discharge rates in response to topical administration of glucose. Two neurons did not respond to this administration. These results suggest that some DMV neurons innervating the abdominal viscera may have an enteroceptor function detecting the change in glucose concentration of their environment.
Administration, Topical↗
Effect of portal infusion of hypertonic saline on neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in the rat.
Effects of hepatoportal osmo-receptive (or sodium-receptive) afferents on neurons within the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) were investigated electrophysiologically in urethane-chloralose anesthetized rats. Responses of 56 spontaneously active neurons to antidromic stimulation of the ventral trunk of the subdiaphragmatic vagus were recorded in the left DMV. Among them, 35 neurons were inhibited by electrical stimulation of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve (inhibitory neurons), except two neurons that were slightly excited. Effects of portal infusion of 3.6% NaCl were examined on 26 inhibitory neurons. Sixteen neurons increased their discharge rates and one neuron decreased its discharge rate in response to portal infusion of hypertonic saline. Thirty-five right DMV neurons responded to electrical stimulation of the dorsal trunk of the subdiaphragmatic vagus were inhibited by electrical stimulation of the hepatic branch of the vagus. Four neurons were excited by this stimulation. Relatively smaller number of neurons (5 out of 22 inhibitory neurons) increased their discharge rates in response to portal infusion of hypertonic saline. In conclusion, the response of DMV neuron observed in this experiment was characterized by increasing the frequency of spike discharges in response to portal infusion of hypertonic saline. However, these neurons were inhibited by electrical stimulation of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve. These results suggest that the hepatoportal osmo-receptive afferents may be conveyed to the DMV via inhibitory synapses.
Animals↗
Response of neurons in the solitary tract nucleus, area postrema and lateral parabrachial nucleus to gastric load of hypertonic saline.
c-Fos was induced in the solitary tract nucleus (NTS), area postrema (AP) and lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) by the intragastric injection of hypertonic saline. The effect was bilateral and most dramatic in the NTS caudal to the facial nucleus and the AP, the areas receiving dense vagal afferent projection from the subdiaphragmatic structures. At least a part of these Fos-LI is considered to have been induced by the activation of the visceral osmoreceptors.
Animals↗
Effects of hepatic vagotomy on suppression of water intake induced by hepatic portal infusion of water in water-deprived rats.
We investigated the effects of hepatic vagotomy on the suppression of water intake induced by hepatic portal infusion of water by 24-h water-deprived rats. In sham-operated rats, water intake of the portal infusion group was significantly less than that of the jugular infusion group during and after the infusion of deionized water for 3.5 h at a rate of 52 microliters/min. This result reconfirmed our previous findings. On the other hand, in hepatic-vagotomized rats, the suppression during the portal infusion of water was not observed, but the suppression after portal infusion was observed. It is concluded that the suppression, at least during the portal infusion of water, was mediated by hepatoportal osmo-receptive (or sodium-receptive) afferent signals contained in the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve.
Animals↗
Compatibility of Tat and Rev transactivators in the primate lentiviruses.
Primate immunodeficiency viruses carry a unique set of transacting regulator genes, which are essential for viral replication. The exchangeability of these Tat and Rev transactivators derived from viruses of the four major subgroups identified to date was assessed in transient transfection and infection assay systems. The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a major causative virus of human AIDS, efficiently activated the other viruses. In contrast, the tat and rev gene products of HIV-2, SIVAGM (virus of the African green monkey), and SIVMND (virus of the mandrill) did not fully transactivate the HIV-1. In particular, the rev of HIV-1 was not substantially replaced by those of the other viruses. The result that HIV-1 is distinct from the other immunodeficiency viruses with respect to the compatibility of two transactivators gives a firm functional basis for the unique phylogenetic position of HIV-1.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Convergence of gastric and hepatic information in brain stem neurons of the rat.
Convergence of gastric and hepatic information in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) was investigated by single-pulse electrical stimulation of the hepatic and the gastric branches of the vagus. Facilitation induced by both stimuli occurred most often in responses of neurons in the NTS, indicating convergence of information there. In a second experiment using gastric distension and portal infusion of glucose to analyze such convergence, activation by gastric distension and suppression by portal glucose was the most prominent combination of responses to both stimuli. This confirmed the results of electrical stimulation, because distension increases the firing rate of gastric afferents and glucose infusion decreases the firing rate of hepatic afferents. Analysis of the responses to varying degrees of gastric distension revealed that some NTS neurons are activated by weak distension, but inhibited by strong distensions.
Animals↗
Glucose-responsive neurons exist within the area postrema of the rat: in vitro study on the isolated slice preparation.
Responses to glucose of spontaneously active neurons were investigated by extracellular recording in the rat area postrema slice preparations (in vitro). Among 67 spontaneously active neurons, 16 neurons displayed a marked increase or decrease in discharge rate in response to increases or decreases of the glucose concentration in perfusate. These results confirm the existence of glucose-responsive neurons within the area postrema suggested in prior in vivo experiments. Response to CCK or dopamine was also examined on the isolated area postrema slices. The neuron that showed a marked increase in discharge rate responding to glucose elicited a marked increase of discharge rate in response to 2.1 microM CCK, suggesting that glucose and CCK affect the same neurons. Some neurons showed a marked increase or decrease in the discharge rate in response to 20 microM dopamine, but these neurons showed neither response to CCK nor to glucose. It is likely that different neuronal networks in the area postrema contribute to control of ingestion and to initiation of nausea.
Animals↗
Feline immunodeficiency virus gene expression: analysis of the RNA splicing pattern and the monocistronic rev mRNA.
The transcription pattern of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) genome in a feline CD4+ cell line was examined. In addition to the genomic RNA (9.2 kb), at least five FIV-specific transcripts [5.2, 4.4 (doublet), 1.7 and 1.4 kb] were detected by using subgenomic restriction enzyme fragments of an FIV molecular clone or FIV-specific oligonucleotides as probes. Among these transcripts, the 9.2, 5.2 and 4.4 (doublet) kb mRNAs were not expressed in the cytoplasm of cells transfected with a rev- mutant. To determine the location of splice junctions in the FIV genome, we used PCR to amplify and clone cDNAs corresponding to the viral mRNAs from infected cells. The region between pol and env was found to contain at least two splice donor and three splice acceptor sites. Two splice acceptor sites were detected in the 3' region of env. By hybridization analysis and sequencing of cDNA clones, it was revealed that the medium sized mRNAs are derived from a single splice event, with different splice acceptor sites, and that the two smaller transcripts are doubly or triply spliced mRNAs. Our results demonstrate a complex pattern of alternative splicing of FIV mRNAs. Furthermore, we identified monocistronic rev mRNA species that employ a unique splice acceptor site.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
The AP-1 binding site in the feline immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat is not required for virus replication in feline T lymphocytes.
Sequences of 31 bp containing putative AP-1 and AP-4 binding sequences in the U3 region of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) long terminal repeat (LTR) were deleted and the basal promoter activity of the LTR was measured by the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay. The activity of the FIV LTR was reduced in Felis catus whole foetus 4 (fcwf-4) cells and Crandell feline kidney cells by this deletion. Cotransfection of murine c-Fos or c-Jun expression plasmids with the FIV LTR-CAT reporter plasmid into fcwf-4 cells revealed that FIV LTR could be activated by c-Fos but not c-Jun in the cells. The mutated LTR was introduced into an infectious molecular clone of FIV and the replication rate and the cytopathogenic activity of the mutant were compared with those of the wild-type in two feline CD4-positive T lymphoblastoid cell lines. It was found that the rate and activity of the mutant were almost the same as those of the wild-type. From these data, we conclude that the 31 bp fragment is important for achieving maximal expression of the FIV genome, but not required for the replication of FIV in feline T lymphocytes.
Animals↗
Nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus among healthy individuals.
Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from healthy students and their drug resistance was investigated. S. aureus was isolated from 17 of 70 persons (24.3%). Fourteen strains of 22 isolates of S. aureus were ampicillin-resistant. Two strains each were cefmetazole-resistant and gentamicin-resistant. None of the strains was found to be methicillin-resistant. Compared with the strains isolated from the hospital ward environment, S. aureus in healthy individuals was relatively sensitive to antibiotics.
Adult↗
The feline immunodeficiency virus ORF-A gene facilitates efficient viral replication in established T-cell lines and peripheral blood lymphocytes.
Frameshift mutants corresponding to all of the identified open reading frames of feline immunodeficiency virus, including the ORF-A gene, which has an unknown function, were constructed in vitro. Upon transfection into cells, no significant difference between the phenotypes of ORF-A mutant clones and those of wild-type clones was demonstrated. Although only ORF-A mutant virus among all mutant viruses from transfected cells showed infectivity in established T-cell lines, the replication and propagation of the ORF-A mutant virus were efficiently reduced compared with those of the wild-type virus. Moreover, the loss of the function of the ORF-A gene resulted in a severe defect in productive infection in primary peripheral blood lymphocytes both in the amount of reverse transcriptase activity produced and in core protein expression. These findings demonstrate that the ORF-A gene of feline immunodeficiency virus is required for efficient viral replication and suggest that the ORF-A gene is likely to be important for natural infection.
Animals↗