Contribution of parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells to the clearance of hepatocyte growth factor from the circulation in rats

PURPOSE: The distribution of 125I-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to either liver parenchymal cells (PC) or non-parenchymal cells (NPC) was investigated in rats. METHODS: After injection of a trace amount of 125I-HGF, the distribution of radioactivity determined by microautoradiography closely resembled that of 125I-epidermal growth factor which distributes mainly to PC. RESULTS: The uptake clearance of 125I-HGF estimated by determining the radioactivity of isolated liver cells was three times higher for PC than for NPC. This suggests that HGF distributes mainly to PC at relatively low doses. On the other hand, the uptake clearance by PC fell on coadministering an excess (80 micrograms/kg) of unlabeled HGF, while no change was observed for NPC, indicating that a saturable process for the hepatic handling of HGF exists only in PC where the HGF receptor is expressed. CONCLUSIONS: At such a dose the uptake clearance was comparable for both PC and NPC showing that HGF distributes to both cell types although NPC have few HGF receptors. Since the distribution to NPC was relatively non-specific and heparin-sensitive, it may be that heparin-like substances, which are believed to exist on PC and/or the extracellular matrix, also exist on NPC.     

Cerebrospinal fluid tissue factor and thrombin-antithrombin III complex as indicators of tissue injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: No marker that reflects and predicts brain injury due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and cerebral vasospasm has been reported. We hypothesized that membrane-bound tissue factor (mTF) and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SAH become markers indicating brain injury. To evaluate the hypothesis, we correlated levels of mTF and TAT in the CSF of patients with SAH with clinical severity, the degree of SAH, and outcome. METHODS: We assayed CSF mTF, TAT and myelin basic protein (MBP) in patients with SAH at intervals that included days 0 to 4 and days 5 to 9 after ictus. Classification of clinical severity of disease on admission was based on Hunt and Hess grade, degree of SAH on CT on Fisher's grading, and outcome 3 months after SAH on the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS: In the interval from days 0 to 4, mTF and TAT correlated with Hunt and Hess and Fisher grades, and occurrence of cerebral infarction due to vasospasm. Only mTF correlated significantly in this period with outcome. TAT, mTF, and MBP all correlated significantly with each other. From days 5 to 9, only mTF correlated with cerebral infarction, infarction volume, MBP levels, and outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Both mTF and TAT reflected brain injury from SAH and predicted vasospasm, though mTF was more sensitive and a better predictor of outcome. Unlike mTF, TAT did not correlate with vasospasm during the interval when it most commonly occurs, which raised doubt about thrombin activation as a cause.     

A new method for discrimination of ground faults causes in distribution lines

Since most problems in distribution lines are ground faults, the technology to distinguish the causes in the distribution lines will be very useful in preventing faults beforehand or, at least finding any problems at an early stage. The waveforms of ground faults which were collected from data concerning problems in the distribution lines and ground fault experiment are analyzed. The technology which could predict classified groups drawn from the scale of I₀ (the waveform of ground fault current) and V₀ (the waveform of ground fault voltage), and both of them in the ground faults is studied. The results demonstrated that I₀ could be classified into three groups, that is, leaking ground faults are sine curve shaped, gap discharge ground faults are triangular, and intermittent discharge ground faults are needle shaped. Also, simulated equivalent impedance of the causes of ground faults by EMTP is calculated. Furthermore, the influence caused by the condition of the distribution lines is investigated. With these results, a technique is proposed which could predict the cause of problems in ground faults.     

Suppression effects of active power filter on harmonics of distribution system including capacitors

Voltage distortion of 6.6-kV distribution systems has been increasing recently especially in commercial areas. Harmonic currents of certain orders are amplified and voltage distortions are generated by the resonance between system impedance and static capacitor under the leading power factor condition. This paper describes the results of a test on suppression effects on model systems and an actual system. The effect of the use of an active power filter on the resonant harmonics of the system including capacitor was verified.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of human serum albumin in plasma and urine by post-column fluorescence enhancement detection using 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid

A method for the quantitative determination of human serum albumin in plasma and urine by post-column high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection is presented. Human serum albumin in plasma and urine is separated by gel-permeation column chromatography, which is followed by fluorescence detection. The detection uses the fluorescence enhancement observed when 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid binds to human serum albumin. The method is rapid to perform and is highly sensitive (detection limit is 2.5 ng/injection volume at a signal-to-noise ratio of three.     

Open heart surgery in patients with chronic dialysis

From January, 1986 to May, 1995, twelve patients with dialysis (11 hemodialysis; HD, and one continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis; CAPD) received open heart surgery. They consist of 10 males and two females aged between 35 and 66 with a mean of 58.8. The duration of dialysis was 6.8 years in a mean (the shortest for 2 months and the longest for 16 years). They classified into an equal number of four in NYHA class II, III and IV. Two of them had isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, four had aortic valve replacement (AVR) and two had mitral valve replacement (MVR). Others were each one of AVR and MVR, AVR plus MVR with tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP), AVR plus TAP, and removal of left atrial myxoma. All patients except for one of CAPD were dialysed daily 2 or 3 days before operation. Three patients were managed postoperatively with HD, one with PD, six with continuous hemodiafiltration, and two with continuous hemofiltration. The operative mortality was 25% (3/12). The causes of death were left ventricular rupture, bronchospasm, and respiratory failure. All patients who died were in class in III and IV. For the improvement of the results we emphasize the necessity of early operation that should be scheduled in class II period.     

Conducting Langmuir-Blodgett films as electrode materials

Photoelectric cells based on Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films were fabricated using dye monolayers as photoconductors and N-docosylpyridinium-di(tetracyanoquinodimethane) (PT) monolayers as one of the electrode materials. It is found that PT films can be used as a wiring material instead of large work function metals such as silver or Ni-Cr. However, in comparison with the photoelectric cells using the conventional metals, a few different properties were observed for those wired with PT. These differences are assignable to the difference between the LB film-metal and the LB film-LB film contacts.     

The extraction of iron(III) from aqueous acid solutions by di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid

The extraction of iron(III) from aqueous solutions containing sulphuric, hydrochloric and nitric acids by di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in kerosene has been investigated under different conditions. As a result, it is found that although extraction is dominated by an ion-exchange reaction, the rate of iron(III) extraction from sulphuric acid solutions to reach equilibrium is relatively slow in comparison with that from hydrochloric or nitric acid solutions. In the extraction from aqueous solutions containing hydrochloric or nitric acid, however, the DEHPA combines with iron(III) according to the solvating reaction at higher aqueous acidity. From studies on the rate of the extraction from sulphuric acid solutions, examined under non-equilibrium, it is confirmed that dependencies of extraction rate on hydrogen ion and DEHPA concentrations are in the first and inverse first orders, respectively. The hydrolyzed species is considered to interpret the extraction mechanism in this system.     

Optoelectronic Integration and Its Impact on System Application

Optoelectronic monolithic integration is preferable for multigigabit transmission systems because of small waveform degradation due to interconnect parasitics in optoelectronic hybrid integration. Implementation of a wavelength division multiplexing subsystem on the optoelectronic integrated chip will further increase the transmission capacity in optical fibers. A five-wavelength integrated distributed feedback laser array with 50 Å lasing wavelength separation has been developed. Multiquantum-wells are promising as a basic structure in future optoelectronic integration. They show high potential in low threshold current laser diodes, high-frequency modulators, and high-speed detectors.