Competitive inhibition by procaine of carbachol-induced stimulus-secretion coupling in rat pancreatic acini

1. Procaine (0.03-10 mM) inhibited carbachol (CCh)-induced amylase release from rat isolated pancreatic acini in a competitive manner. Kinetic analysis of the relation between CCh concentrations and the amount of amylase released in the presence of various procaine concentrations indicated that procaine caused competitive inhibition with the affinity constant (pA2) value of 5.00 +/- 0.08. 2. Receptor binding assay confirmed that procaine (0.01-10 mM) competitively inhibited [N-methyl-3H]-scopolamine chloride ([3H]-NMS) binding to its receptor with binding affinity (pKi) of 4.63 +/- 0.10. 3. Procaine transformed CCh-evoked [Ca2+]i dynamics: the initial rise in [Ca2+]i followed by a gradual decay during continuous stimulation with 3 microM CCh was transformed by 0.3 mM procaine to the oscillatory [Ca2+]i dynamics, which resembled the response to 0.3 microM CCh in the absence of procaine. The initial phase of [Ca2+]i oscillation corresponded to the initial phase of CCh-induced amylase release in isolated perfused acini. 4. Procaine (0.3-3 mM) did not inhibit the secretory response to cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) in isolated incubated acini. A higher concentration of procaine (10 mM) caused weak but significant inhibition of the response to only limited concentrations of CCK-8, 30 and 100 pM. Procaine lower than 10 mM was ineffective on [125I]-BH-CCK-8 binding, although procaine (10 mM) caused weak but significant inhibition of the binding.     

Blood concentrations of polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase and interleukin-6 are indicators for the occurrence of multiple organ failures at the early stage of acute pancreatitis

We studied potential indicators of severe acute pancreatitis by measuring the blood concentrations of various cytokines, polymorphonuclear leucocyte elastase (PMN-E), acute phase reactants, pancreatic amylase (P-AMY), pancreatic elastase-1 (E-1) and white blood cell (WBC) counts in patients with acute pancreatitis. In addition, the presence of multiple organ damage was assessed. Subjects consisted of 22 patients with acute pancreatitis including severe (n = 11), moderate (n = 4) and mild (n = 7) cases. A significant positive correlation was observed between the number of organs damaged and the peak concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, PMN-E, C-reactive protein (CRP) and pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI). Among these markers, blood concentrations of PMN-E and IL-6 rapidly increased and peaked at the early phase of acute pancreatitis whereas CRP and PSTI did not. The elevation of PMN-E and IL-6 was greater the more severe the symptoms. However, no significant correlation was observed between the number of organs damaged and the maximum serum concentrations of P-AMY and E-1, or the WBC count, which have been considered to be markers of pancreatitis. These results suggest that PMN-E and IL-6 concentrations are useful indicators of severity and prognosis and their determination facilitates the selection of appropriate treatment in the early stages of disease to prevent the aggressive progression of acute pancreatitis.     

Vibratory tactile display of image-based textures

Virtual worlds must integrate tactile and force sensations to create a sense of presence. Our tactile display conveys the textural sensation of object surfaces to a user's fingertip. This vibratory tactile display contains a contact pin array that transmits vibrations to the human skin. This type of device has been investigated as a reading aid for the blind since the 1960s. A device called the Optacon, developed by J.G. Linvill and J.C. Bliss (1966) was intended for use by a visually impaired person. Therefore, methods for representing texture have not been discussed extensively for that device. We present techniques for virtually replicating surface texture sensations through a vibratory tactile display, using image data of objects. M. Minsky et al. (1990) demonstrated a method for presenting surface textures by force display, including-if needed-visual images of textures. Their system generated the images from geometrical shapes of depth maps. In contrast, we use pictures of real object surfaces to provide the distribution data for tactile stimulus     

Effects of propentofylline on tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant production in rats with cerulein-induced pancreatitis and endotoxemia

Using rabbit polyclonal antiurinary protein 1 antibody to study the female prostate (Skene's gland) and the male prostate, characteristic localizations patterns appeared in single cells and groups of cells. The majority correspond to cells positive for neuroendocrine markers. In the cytoplasm, cells positive for protein 1 were most frequently found in the epithelial lining of the female urethra, in the pars prostatica of the male urethra, and in the ducts of the female and male prostate where the lining consisted of pseudostratified columnar epithelium. Their occurrence rate was far lower among secretory and basal cells of the male and female prostate glands. The cells with protein 1 corresponded to those displaying positivity for chromogranin A, silver staining by the Grimelius and less by the Sevier-Munger method, and by neuron specific enolase. Using the Masson-Hamperl argentaffin method, positive cells were only exceptionally found. The cells positive for protein 1, and particularly chromogranin A, and characterized by Grimelius positivity, contained different amounts of neuroendocrine granules and varied in size and shape. The majority of these cells had contact with the lumen of male and female prostatic ducts (open type of neuroendocrine cells). In some cases of the male and female urethra and of the great paraurethral ducts, a remarkably high number of cells containing protein 1 corresponded to cells only containing neuron-specific enolase but not chromogranin A and other neuroendocrine markers. These cells can be considered stem cells responsible for the renewal of the uroepithelium of the urethra and prostatic ducts. Protein 1 may thus be a further, though presumably not specific marker for the identification of cells of the neuroendocrine system in the prostate of the male and female. This marker could well be used to study uroepithelium maturation. The corresponding immunohistochemical distribution of human protein 1 in neuroendocrine and other cells of the male and the female prostate provides another analogous functional and morphological parameter of prostatic tissue in both sexes and further evidence supporting the non-vestigial concept of the prostate in the female.