Blood Pressure Elevation of Tubular Specific (P)RR Transgenic Mice and Lethal Tubular Degeneration due to Possible Intracellular Interactions between (P)RR and Alternative Renin Products

The prorenin/renin receptor ((P)RR) is a multifunctional protein that is widely distributed in various organs. Despite intensive research for more than 20 years, this receptor has not been fully characterized. In this study, we generated mice overexpressing the tubular epithelial (P)RR gene ((P)RR-TG mice) to test the previously reported functional role of (P)RR by Ramkumar et al. in 2015 using tubular specific (P)RR KO mice. (P)RR-TG mice were maintained and analyzed in individual metabolic cages and were administered angiotensin II blocker (ARB), direct renin inhibitor (DRI), and bafilomycin, that is, vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) antagonist. (P)RR-TG mice were hypertensive and had alkalized urine with lower osmolality and Na⁺ excretion. ARB and DRI, but not bafilomycin, concurrently decreased blood pressure. Bafilomycin acidized urine of (P)RR-TG mice, or equivalently this phenomenon restored the effect of overexpressed transgene, suggesting that (P)RR functioned as a V-ATPase in renal tubules. Afterall, (P)RR-TG mice were mated with alternative renin transgenic mice (ARen2-TG), which we identified as intracellular renin previously, to generate double transgenic mice (DT-TG). Lethal renal tubular damage was observed in DT-TG mice, suggesting that intracellular renin may be a ligand for (P)RR in tubules. In summary, (P)RR did not substantially affect the tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in our model of tubular specific (P)RR gene over-expression, but alternative intracellular renin may be involved in (P)RR signaling in addition to conventional V-ATPase function. Further investigations are warranted.     

Oil production from algal cells of Dunaliella tertiolecta by direct thermochemical liquefaction

Algal cells of Dunaliella tertiolecta with a moisture content of 78.4 wt% were converted directly into oil by thermochemical liquefaction at around 300°C and 10 MPa. The oil yield was about 37% on an organic basis. The oil obtained at a reaction temperature of 340°C and holding time of 60 min had a viscosity of 150–330 mPas and a calorific value of 36 kJ g⁻¹, comparable to those of fuel oil.     

Effect of chlorphentermine on incorporation of [14C]choline in the rat lung phospholipids

The effect of chlorphentermine (CP) treatment (50 mg/kg/ day, per os [po]) on the incorporation of [¹⁴C]choline into rat lung phospholipid was studied.Total phospholipid content was increased 2.0-fold and 1.7-fold after seven and 14 days, respectively, compared with the pair-fed rats. The incorporation of [¹⁴C]choline into phosphatidylcholine (PC) was significantly inhibited by either seven or 14 days of CP treatment. Nevertheless, the PC content was significantly increased by day 7 and stayed elevated at day 14 of CP treatment. Choline and phosphorylcholine contents were significantly decreased by the CP treatment. These results suggest that the higher accumulation of PC is due to inhibition of enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of phospholipids rather than to a stimulation of the phospholipid synthesis. Presented in part at the SOT Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 1984 (abstracted inThe Toxicologist 4[1], 64).     

Fusion Safety Research and Development in JAERI

This paper describes the current status and future plans of the fusion safety research and development regarding to the developments of the dust removal system and safety analysis code and the thermofluid experiments in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) for a fusion experimental reactor. The containment of the radioactive material is the key to achieve fusion safety. In the event of accidents, the source terms need to be evaluated with sufficient accuracy. Therefore, in JAERI, the dust characterization have been investigated and the dust removal system using electric force has been developed and tested. A safety analysis code including both thermal and plasma transient analyses under the various event sequences has been developed. Moreover, the preliminary experiments of thermofluid transients in the vacuum vessel such as Ingress of Coolant Event (ICE) and Loss of Vacuum Event (LOVA) have been started and the experimental results using preliminary LOVA/ICE apparatus during 1995–1996 are summarized in this paper.     

Three-dimensional display of X-ray CT image

Multi-slice images obtained by X-ray CT essentially have a three-dimensional data structure. They are useful for diagnosis and treatment through three-dimensional display. Surface display of organs is an effective three-dimensional display. However, although completely automatic processing of contour extraction is desirable it is also very difficult. For surface display, it is very important to extract contours of organs. Accordingly, using an interactive method, we have developed an algorithm for accurate three-dimensional display after extracting images of the cerebral ventricle. Satisfactory results have been obtained.     

Tissue fibronectin is an endogenous ligand for galectin-1

A 14K beta-galactoside-binding lectin (galectin-1) is present in many animal tissues. In a search for endogenous ligands, we surveyed galectin-1-binding proteins in human placenta. Extract of human placenta with 2 M urea was applied to a Sepharose 4B column conjugated with galectin-1 purified from frog (Rana catesbeiana) eggs. Two major proteins eluted with 100 mM lactose from the column-bound fraction showed apparent molecular masses of 220 and 180 kDa on SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. Western blotting analysis using monoclonal antibodies indicated that these proteins were fibronectin and laminin, respectively. Most placental and amniotic fibronectins bound strongly to the column, whereas almost all plasma fibronectin passed through the column. The galectin-1, fibronectin and laminin were immunohistochemically shown to be co-localized in the extracellular matrix of placental tissue. In a cell attachment assay, rhabdosarcoma cells adhered to a plate coated with placental fibronectin, even in the presence of GRGDS peptide, if galectin-1 were also present. This adhesive effect of galectin-1 was inhibited by lactose. These results indicate that tissue fibronectin, as well as laminin, serve as endogenous ligands for galectin-1, suggesting that galectin-1 may play a role in assembly of the extracellular matrix, or in the control of cell adhesion based on lectin-extracellular matrix interaction.     

Late local recurrence after radiotherapy for tongue and early glottic carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIM: Late local recurrence after radiotherapy for tongue and early glottic carcinoma is rarely discussed. In the head and neck cancer, approximately 90% of local recurrence occurred within 2 years after radiotherapy. However, we found that late local recurrence after radiotherapy for glottic cancer was not rare. Our aim was to evaluate the late local recurrence after radiotherapy for early glottic and tongue cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1967 through 1982, 633 patients with tongue carcinoma and 330 patients with early (T1T2N0) glottic carcinomas were treated at the Department of Radiology, Osaka University Hospital. Of these 821 patients, 329 patients with tongue carcinoma and 221 patients with early glottic carcinoma survived at 5 years after radiotherapy without local recurrence. For tongue carcinoma, patients were divided by T category. For early glottic carcinoma, patients were divided by the tumor response at 40 Gy. RESULTS: Late local recurrence occurred in 23 of 329 patients (7%) with tongue carcinoma, and in 9 of 221 (4%) with early glottic carcinoma. For tongue carcinoma, late recurrence occurred in 19 of 249 patients (8%) in stage I and II, and 4 of 80 patients (5%) in stage III and IV. For glottic carcinoma, late recurrence occurred in 8 of 137 patients (6%) with tumor clearance at 40 Gy and 1 of 63 patients (2%) with tumor persistence at 40 Gy. The incidence of double cancer was also evaluated. Of 329 5-year survivors with tongue carcinoma, 39 patients (12%) had another malignancy, and 26 patients of 221 5-year survivors with early glottic carcinoma (12%) had also another malignancy. Of 39 double primaries of tongue carcinoma, 10 patients (26%) had head and neck malignancies, and none of 26 double primaries of early glottic carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Late local recurrence was not rare in tongue and early glottic cancer. Poor prognostic group showed lower incidence of late recurrence than good prognostic group. This result suggests that secondary tumor at the same site of primary tumor is late local recurrence.     

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.     

Formation of water-insoluble gel in dry-coated tablets for the controlled release of theophylline

Sodium alginate (ALNa) of a natural polysaccharide is known to form a water-insoluble gel when combined with a bivalent metal. In this study, we prepared tablets containing ALNa and calcium gluconate (GLCa) as a bivalent metal, and studied the application of the water-insoluble gel involving the controlled release of a test drug by permeation of water. Dry-coated tablets containing theophylline (TP) as a model drug, ALNa and GLCa were prepared by the dry power compression method. The controlled release of TP was evaluated by the dissolution test according to JP XIII. The release rate was extremely high for the tablets which contained only TP and GLCa. A zero order or sigmoidal release profile was observed for the tablets that contained only TP and ALNa. On the other hand, the lowest dissolution rate and a sigmoidal release profile were observed for the tablet containing TP and GLCa in its core and ALNa in its outer phase. These results suggest that dry-coated tablets containing ALNa and GLCa and prepared by the direct powder compression method would be useful for the controlled release of drugs.