Metabolism of sodium 3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholane-24-sulfonate in hamsters

Metabolism of sodium 3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholane-24-sulfonate, the sulfonate derivative of chenodeoxycholic acid, was studied in hamsters. In bile fistula hamsters, the sulfonate analogue was efficiently absorbed from the ileum and secreted rapidly into the bile without any modification such as conjugation. However, absorption from the jejunum was smaller than that observed for the ileum. After oral administration, the sulfonate analogue of chenodeoxycholic acid was recovered quantitatively in the feces as the unchanged form in contrast to simultaneously administered chenodeoxycholic acid, which was entirely converted to lithocholic acid during its passage through the intestinal tract. These results demonstrate that the sulfonate analogue is absorbed mainly from the ileum by active transport, enters the enterohepatic circulation like the endogenous conjugated bile acids, and completely resists bacterial degradation.     

An Expression Profile of Active Genes in Human Colonic Mucosa

An expression profile of genes active in the human colonic mucosawas obtained by collecting 959 partial sequences from a 3'-directedcDNA library. Seven genes were found to produce mRNA each ofwhich comprized more than 1% of total mRNA. Four of these genesare novel, and are likely to be uniquely expressed in the colonicmucosa, and the other three have been identified as genes forfatty acid binding protein, immunoglobulin lambda chain, andcarcinoma-associated antigen GA733-2. In the remaining 952 clones,310 were composed of 118 species occurred recurrently but lessthan 1%, and 533 clones appeared only once. Because the 3'-directedcDNA library faithfully represents the mRNA population in thesource tissue, these numbers represent the relative activitiesof the gene expression. Altogether 156 gene species were identified in GenBank, anda significant portion of these genes encode proteins found inGolgi apparatus and lysosomes, chromosome-encoded mitochondrialproteins, cell surface proteins, and components in the proteinsynthesis machinery. The types and proportions of genes identifiedis consistent with the known major activities of the colonicmucosa such as mucous protein production, energy-dependent waterabsorption, and rapid cell proliferation and turnover.     

Expression of Activin Receptor-like Kinase 7 in Adipose Tissues

The tissue distribution of activin receptor-like kinase 7 (Alk7) expression, the signaling ability of Alk7 variants, and Alk7 expression in response to β₃-adrenergic receptor activation were examined. Expression levels of Alk7 varied greatly among tissues but were highest in white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. In addition to full-length Alk7 (Alk7-v1), Alk7-v3, an Alk7 variant, was expressed in adipose tissues, brain, and ovary. Nodal transmits signals via Alk7 in cooperation with its coreceptor, Cripto. Evaluation of the ability of Alk7 variants to confer Nodal signaling using luciferase-based reporter assays showed that Alk7-v3 does not transmit Nodal-Cripto-mediated signals. Expression of Alk7 was down-regulated in brown but not in white adipose tissue treated with CL316,243, a β₃-adrenergic receptor agonist. These results suggest involvement of Alk7 in modulation of metabolism in the adipose tissues in response to β₃-adrenergic receptor activation.     

Several clinical aspects of thalamic pulvinotomy.

Several clinical aspects of thalamic pulvinotomy were investigated. Influence of electrical stimulation of pulvinar on consciousness, speech, memory, evoked response, emotion, intelligence, character, ophthalmic and auditory examinations were studied during operation and compared between pre-, post, and during operation.     

Phenytoin protected mouse cortical cell cultures against neurotoxicity induced by kainate but not by NMDA

Summary Phenytoin (PHT) protected cultured mouse cortex neurons against kainate-induced excitotoxicity, but failed to protect against the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity. The voltage-clamp experiments showed that PHT significantly blocked kainate-induced currents but did not block NMDA-induced currents in the cultured neurons. These results indicate that PHT protects the cultures by blocking non-NMDA receptors and suggest that PHT has clinical efficacy against neuronal cell death through the excessive stimulation of non-NMDA receptors.     

Identification of 3,6,7,12-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acids in human biologic fluids

Unusual bile acids, 3 alpha, 6 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-, and 3 alpha, 6 beta, 7 beta, 12 alpha-tetrahyroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acids, were identified in all amniotic fluid (four samples) and urine (six samples) from adult patients with cholestatic liver disease by gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. For the certain identification of these bile acids in the biologic samples, the chemical syntheses of 3 alpha, 6 beta, 7 alpha, 12 alpha- and 3 alpha, 6 beta, 7 beta, 12 alpha-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acids were conducted.     

Quantitative analysis on discrimination of various odorants at receptor sites of the frog olfactory cell revealed by a cross adaptation method

Cross adaptation experiments were carried out quantitatively with the frog olfactory system by varying concentrations of odorants in a wide range. The results obtained gave quantitative information on the difference in the receptor sites for various odorants.