The effects of R-75,317 on antiglomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis in rats

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator which is released by various inflammatory cells and produced by certain tissues, including the kidney. PAF has been shown to increase glomerular permeability to protein and to decrease glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by contracting mesangium. On the basis of these observations, it has been suspected that PAF may play a role as mediator of glomerular damage in glomerular nephritis. To examine this possibility, we studied the effects of a specific PAF antagonist, R-75,317, on the development of an experimental model of anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) glomerulonephritis. Glomerulonephritis was initiated by injecting rabbit anti-rat GBM serum into rats. Proteinuria gradually developed after serum injection, plateaued at week 2, and remained at the high level of week 2 throughout the experimental period (6 wk). Chronic treatment with R-75,317 (10 mg/kg/day i.p.) tended to delay the onset of proteinuria and significantly accelerated the recovery phase. Creatinine clearance (Ccr) fell to 40% at week 3. R-75,317 treatment completely prevented this decline of Ccr. Histological changes in this model (glomerular hypertrophy, proliferation of mesangial matrix and interstitial fibrosis) were also ameliorated by the R-75,317 treatment. The results suggest that PAF may play a role in the development of glomerulonephritis and that PAF antagonists could be used in the treatment of human renal disease. Based on a paper presented at the Third International Conference on Platelet-Activating Factor and Structurally Related Alkyl Ether Lipids, May 1989.     

Development of 170 GHz/500 kW gyrotron

A development of 170GHz/500kW level gyrotron was carried out as R&D work of ITER. The oscillation mode is TE_31,8. In a short pulse experiment, the maximum power of 750kW was achieved at 85kV/40A. The efficiency was 22%. In the depressed collector operation, 500kW/36%/50ms was obtained. The maximum efficiency of 40% was obtained at P_RF=470kW whereas the power decrease by the electron trapping was observed. Pulse extension was done up to 10s at P_RF=170kW with the depressed collector operation. The power was limited by the temperature increase of the output window.     

Preparation of SiB4±x and SiB6 plates by chemical vapour deposition of SiCl4 + B2H6 system

SiB_4±x and SiB₆ plates were prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using SiCl₄, B₂H₆ and H₂ gases under the conditions of deposition temperatures (T _dep) from 1323–1773 K, total gas pressures (P _tot) from 4–40 kPa and B/Si source gas ratio (m _B/Si=2B₂H₆/SiCl₄) from 0.2–2.8. The effects of CVD conditions on the morphology, structure and composition of the deposits were examined. High-purity and high-density SiB_4±x and SiB₆ plates about 1 mm thick were obtained at the deposition rates of 71 and 47 nm s⁻¹, respectively. The lattice parameter, composition and density of CVD SiB_4±x plates were dependent on their non-stoichiometry. The lattice parameter,a, was 0.6325 nm, butc ranged from 1.262–1.271 nm.The B/Si atomic ratio ranged from 3.1–5.0, and the density ranged from 2.39–2.45×10³ kg m⁻³. The CVD SiB₆ plates showed constant values of lattice parameters (a=1.444 nm,b=1.828 nm,c=0.9915 nm), composition (B/Si=6.0) and density (2.42×10³ kg m⁻³), independent of CVD conditions.     

An ESR study of the film formation steps of vapor deposition polymerization of polyamic acid

A film of polyamic acid is formed by vapor deposition polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA). We have taken ESR spectrum during the polymerization process and compared it with the ESR spectrum of films obtained from solution polymerization. In the intermediate polymers during vapor deposition polymerization, the amide bond (? CONH? ) is coplanar with the benzene ring and two protons in the PMDA molecule. This intermediate polymer has one unpaired electron that interacts with the two nitrogen nuclei equally. On the other hand, in the polymer obtained by solution polymerization, the amide bond and the benzene ring of PMDA are not coplanar. In this polymer, too, some of the molecules have an unpaired electron that seems to have almost no coupling with NH groups. These results imply that the polymer formation via vapor deposition proceeds through different intermediates and different molecular configurations from that via the solution process.     

MASS TRANSFER IN GAS-SPARGED POROUS ELECTRODES

The electrochemical limiting current method was used to measure mass transfer coefficients with cocurrent upward gas-liquid flow in packed bed electrodes. Liquid-solid and overall gas-solid coefficients were determined from limiting current data in the presence of inert or reactive gas flows with the use of a plug flow model. The presence of inert gas flow increased mass transfer coefficients over those in single-phase flow by a factor of up to 1.7. As a result of boundary layer penetration by gas bubbles, sparging with reactive gas increased mass transfer rates by a factor of up to 3.5.     

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of stereoisomeric bile acids as their UV-sensitive esters

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of a series of mono-, di- and trihydroxylated 5β-cholanic acids which differ only in position and configuration of hydroxyl groups at positions C-3, C-7 and/or C-12, is reported. The C-24 free acids were derivatized to four different classes of UV-sensitive esters, i.e.,p-bromophenacyl (BP),m-methoxyphenacyl (MP), 4-nitrophthalimidemethyl (NPM) and 9-anthrylmethyl (AM) esters, and chromatographed on two, variants of C₁₈ reversed-phase columns (Nova-Pak C₁₈ and Zorbax ODS) with methanol-water systems as mobile phase. Separation efficiency and elution order of some isomeric pairs were influenced by both the structure of the C-24 ester groups and the nature of the columns used. Excellent chromatographic properties were found for those derivatives, particularly for the NPM esters.     

Hydroliquefaction of low-sulfur coals using iron carbonyl complexes—Sulfur as catalysts

Hydroliquefaction of low-sulfur Australian coals (Wandoan and Yallourn) was studied using iron carbonyl complexes as catalyst. The addition of Fe(CO)₅ (2.8 wt% Fe of coal) increased coal conversion from 48.6 to 85.2% for Wandoan coal, and from 36.7 to 69.7% for Yallourn coal in 1-methylnaphthalene at 425°C under an initial hydrogen pressure of 50 kg cm^?2. When molecular sulfur was added to iron carbonyls (Fe(CO)₅, Fe₂(CO)₉ and Fe₃(CO)₁₂), higher coal converions ( > 92%) and higher oil yields (>46%) were obtained, along with an increase in the amount of hydrogen transferred to coal from the gas phase (0.2 to 2.8%, d.a.f. coal basis). In the liquefaction studies using a hydrogen donor solvent, tetralin, Fe(CO)₅S catalyst increased the amount of hydrogen absorbed from the gaseous phase and decreased the amount of naphthalene dehydrogenated from tetralin. The direct hydrogen transfer reaction from molecular hydrogen to coal fragment radicals seems to be a major reaction pathway. Organic sulfur compounds, dimethyldisulfide and benzothiophene, and inorganic FeS₂ and NiS were found to be good sulfur sources to Fe(CO)₅. From X-ray diffraction analyses of liquefaction residues, it is concluded that Fe(CO)₅ was converted into pyrrhotite (Fe_1?xS) when sulfur was present, but into Fe₃O₄ in the absence of sulfur.     

Fracture behaviour of unmodified and rubber-modified epoxies under hydrostatic pressure

The fracture toughness and uniaxial tensile yield strengths of unmodified and CTBN-rubber-modified epoxies were measured under hydrostatic pressure. The purpose of these experiments was to learn how suppressing cavitation in rubber particles affects the deformation mechanisms and the fracture toughness of rubber-modified epoxy. It was found that the cavitation of CTBN-rubber could be suppressed at a relatively low pressure (between 30 and 38 M Pa). With cavitation suppressed, the rubber particles are unable to induce massive shearyielding in the epoxy matrix, and the fracture toughness of the rubber-modified epoxy is no higher than that of the unmodified epoxy in the pressure range studied. Unmodified epoxy shows a brittle-to-ductile transition in fracture toughness test. The reason for this transition is the postponement of the cracking process by applied pressure.Work performed while on a sabbatical leave at the University of Michigan.     

Occurrence of heterogeneity of N-linked oligosaccharides attached to sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) laccase after excretion

The N-linked oligosaccharide moieties of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) laccase are known to be highly heterogeneous. We confirmed that this oligosaccharide heterogeneity was caused not only during the oligosaccharide biosynthesis in Golgi apparatus, but also after the excretion of laccase protein into a culture medium. The culture medium for the sycamore cells (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) contained beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, alpha-mannosidase and beta-xylosidase activities. We showed that the largest sugar chain in laccase, oligosaccharide F, [formula: see text] was degraded to [formula: see text] by a crude exoglycosidase mixture in the culture medium.