The level of tumor-associated antigen (TA-4) was determined in the serum and tumor tissue of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix by radioimmunoassay and immunoperoxidase techniques. Using an arbitrary limit of 2.5 ng/ml of serum, positive values were observed in 5.5% of healthy controls and 53.6% of patients with cervical squamous carcinoma. The mean value and incidence of elevation of serum TA-4 increased significantly with advancing disease stage. There was, however, no significant increase in serum TA-4 in the early stages of disease. Elevated TA-4 in serum rapidly fell to normal within 72 hours after radical surgery, but remained elevated if complete excision could not be performed. In case of radiotherapy, TA-4 levels in serum and tumor tissue often increased during the administration of the initial 2000 rad, and subsequently declined after the administration of a total of more than 4000 rad. The decline of serum TA-4 to normal observed during radiotherapy was found to be closely correlated with the disappearance of viable cancer cells in histopathologic specimens from the cervix. Immunohistochemical TA-4 staining was present in large cell nonkeratinizing carcinoma, but not in small cell nonkeratinizing carcinoma. These results indicate that the expression of TA-4 antigen in cervical squamous carcinoma is related to differentiation of the tumor cells and that serum TA-4 determination, despite its limitation for early diagnosis, provides a potential means for monitoring the effects of individual therapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

PubMed1985

Influences of Ca2+: antagonist and cyclic AMP on vascular smooth muscle cells in culture.

When cultured with a Ca2+ antagonist diltiazem, fetal bovine aortic smooth muscle cells showed a cobblestone-like monolayer and a positive factor VIII-related antigen in culture, which are supposed to be specific to the endothelial cells in general. Similar change was produced by addition of a cyclic AMP analogue, dibutyryl cyclic AMP or a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, theophylline. All of these changes were reversible. Both smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells are derived from mesenchymal cells embryologically and it is of great interest to presume the differentiation process of both cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

[Behavioral and electroencephalographic effects of lormetazepam].

Behavioral and electroencephalographic effects of lormetazepam were investigated in rats, mice and rabbits, in comparison with those of diazepam, nitrazepam and flurazepam. Locomotor activity of mice in an open-field situation was decreased with large doses of lormetazepam and diazepam, while it was increased with nitrazepam and flurazepam. The anticonflict effect of lormetazepam in rats was much more potent than those of diazepam, nitrazepam and flurazepam. In suppressing the muricide of olfactory bulbectomized and raphe lesioned rats, lormetazepam was more potent than diazepam, nitrazepam and flurazepam. Lormetazepam, diazepam and flurazepam prevented both maximal electroshock and pentetrazol convulsions in mice, the effects on the latter being much more potent than those on the former. Lormetazepam was more potent than diazepam and flurazepam in potentiating thiopental-, ether- and ethanol anesthesia, impairing rotarod performance and in muscle relaxant activity. In conscious rabbits with chronically implanted electrodes, lormetazepam induced a drowsy EEG pattern and suppressed the EEG arousal responses not only to auditory stimulation but also to electrical stimulation of the midbrain reticular formation or hypothalamus. Lormetazepam also inhibited afterdischarges induced by electrical stimulation of the hippocampus and amygdala. These results indicate that lormetazepam has pharmacological properties characteristic of benzodiazepines and that the activity is more potent than those of diazepam, nitrazepam and flurazepam.

Anesthetics↗

PubMed1985

[Assessment of biological aging status].

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Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

A new unstable, high oxygen affinity hemoglobin: Hb Nagoya or beta 97 (FG4) His----Pro.

An unstable hemoglobin was detected by isopropanol and heat precipitation tests in a 49-year-old Japanese man suffering from acute exacerbation of a chronic hemolytic disorder which was apparently triggered by infection of cholelithiasis. One of his two sons carried the same abnormal hemoglobin, and was jaundiced, but otherwise healthy, without anemia. The abnormal hemoglobin focused at a slightly more anodic position than Hb A in thin layer polyacrylamide gel electrofocusing. The abnormal beta chain emerged after normal beta chain in reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography of the hemolysate. It comprised 16.7% and 25.5% of the total beta chain in the propositus and his son, respectively. The partially heme-depleted abnormal beta subunit was precipitated with p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, and the abnormal beta chain was isolated by urea CM-cellulose column chromatography. Structural analysis demonstrated substitution of proline for histidine at position 97 (FG4) in the beta chain. The abnormal hemoglobin was purified by ion-exchange column chromatography. It showed a hyperbolic oxygen equilibrium curve indicating a high oxygen affinity and the absence of cooperative intersubunit interaction. Subunit dissociation seemed to be slightly enhanced. The variant was markedly susceptible to oxidation and rapidly lost heme upon oxidation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1985

Effect of dietary orotic acid on the levels of liver and blood NAD in rats.

The effect of dietary orotic acid on the levels of liver and blood NAD in young rats was investigated. Weanling rats were fed on a nicotinic acid-free, 20% casein diet containing 0% (control diet) or 1% orotic acid (test diet) for 32 days. Retardation of growth, development of fatty liver and enlargement of liver were observed in the test group in comparison with the control group. In the test group, the amounts of quinolinic acid, niacin, NAD and N1-methylnicotinamide, and the activities of quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase, nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase, nicotinamide methyltransferase and NAD synthetase expressed in terms of g liver were significantly decreased compared to the control group. When these values were expressed in terms of whole liver, a significant difference was observed in the content of NAD and the activity of NAD synthetase between the control and the test groups. The activity of aminocarboxymuconate-semialdehyde decarboxylase expressed in terms of whole liver was about 2-fold higher in the test group than in the control group, but was not significantly different. The levels of NAD in blood as well as in liver were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group. Urinary excretions of quinolinic acid, niacin and N1-methylnicotinamide were also reduced in the test group. These results are discussed in the light of the reported effect of orotic acid in lowering the level of ATP in liver.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Disposition of ipriflavone (TC-80) in rats and dogs.

Oral 14C-ipriflavone was absorbed by rats to give a maximum plasma 14C level at 1.5 h and a half-life of 5.8 h. In dogs, after po dosing, the plasma 14C peaked at 0.5 h, followed by gradual decline. The plasma of both animals contained mostly metabolites, with small amounts of unchanged ipriflavone. In rats, 14C was distributed widely in tissues, with relatively high concns. in the liver, kidney and gut. Distribution in rat thigh bone of unmetabolized ipriflavone was also demonstrated. 14C-Ipriflavone was eliminated mostly as metabolites within 48 and 72 h, respectively, in rats and dogs. Rats excreted more 14C in urine than in feces, whereas the reverse was noted in dogs. Biliary excretion and reabsorption of 14C were also obvious in both animals.

Animals↗

PubMed1985