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Endometriosis, adenomyosis and leiomyomata develop in women of reproductive age and regress after menopause or ovariectomy, suggesting that they grow in an oestrogen-dependent fashion. We investigated whether polymorphism in the oestrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) gene is related to oestrogen-dependent benign uterine disease. A total of 203 women with regular menstrual cycles underwent laparotomy or laparoscopy and were diagnosed histologically with endometriosis, adenomyosis and/or leiomyomata. Patients with cervical carcinoma in situ, tubal occlusion or adhesion but no other gynaecological disease were considered to be disease-free. A total of 179 women undergoing annual health examination were grouped as reference population. The distribution of PVUII genotypes (PP, Pp, and pp) of the ERalpha gene was different between each pair of the four groups of endometriosis, adenomyosis/leiomyomata, disease-free, and reference population (P = 0.022-0.0005), except between the former two groups. The PP genotype was less frequent in the groups of endometriosis (P = 0.0002) and adenomyosis/leiomyomata (P = 0.002) as compared to that in the disease-free group. In the endometriosis group, there was no difference in the distribution of PVUII genotypes due to complicating diseases (adenomyosis and/or leiomyomata) or severity of the clinical stages. These results suggest that the PVUII polymorphism of the ERalpha gene is associated with the risk for endometriosis, adenomyosis, and leiomyomata.

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Further evidence about the mechanism of the inhibition of contractions caused by cadmium ions (Cd2+) in guinea-pig taenia coli has been sought. Cd2+at a concentration of 0·5 mM completely inhibited the high-K (40 mM)-induced contraction within 3–5 min. Cd2+did not shift the Ca2+-induced concentration-response curve to the right in Ca2+-free K+depolarized muscle, although it reduced the Ca2+response size. The K+-induced increase in tissue calcium content and 45Ca uptake determined by the lanthanum method was significantly reduced in the presence of Cd2+(0·5 mM) and the contractions of the glycerolated taenia coli were inhibited with increasing Cd2+(0·001–0·5 mM). Muscle strips, incubated in a medium containing 0·5 mM Cd2+, accumulated greater amounts of cadmium than within the extracellular space. It is suggested that the inhibitory action on tension produced by Cd2+in taenia coli may result from the interference of calcium permeability at the cell membrane. There is the possibility that Cd2+acts on the contractile system of the muscle.

Cadmium uptake by taenia coli was dose-dependent, achieving equilibrium after approximately 60 min of incubation. The SH-blocker, N-ethylmaleimide inhibited cadmium uptake. When muscles were washed with normal medium or that containing 0.5 mM EDTA following 0.5 mM Cd2+treatment for 60 min, the tissue cadmium concentration reached equilibrium levels after 60 min and approximately 43 or 27% of the initial tissue cadmium concentration was retained, respectively. Both glutathione and dithiothreitol also increased cadmium efflux. However the contractions of glycerinated taenia coli caused by Ca2+and Mg-ATP, completely returned to control values after washing with 0.5 mM EDTA medium following 0.5 mM Cd2+treatment for 60 min, suggesting that EDTA seems to exert intracellular effects in glycerinated taenia coli. These results suggest that SH-dependent mechanisms in cadmium uptake play a role in intact taenia coli. In addition, in intact taenia coli, Cd2+are accumulated in intracellular compartments which EDTA cannot reach and may exert an inhibitory action on internal sites in the cells.

Photochemical diodes were prepared using a thin film of TiO2 made from titanium isopropoxide by a sol-gel method. A half part of a conductive SnO2 film plated on a quartz plate was coated with the TiO2 film, and the other parts of the SnO2 substrate were coated with a thin Pt film. The photochemical diode thus prepared shows photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution from aqueous ethanol solutions containing NaOH or HClO4. No other products are detected in the gas phase. Hydrogen evolution from the Pt part is definitely observed, indicating electron transfer from the TiO2 film to the Pt film through the SnO2 film. Another type of photochemical diode, the TiO2 film coated on a Pt plate, is found to show higher activity than the TiO2/SnO2/Pt device for the hydrogen photo-evolution without any support electrolyte. Hydrogen evolution on this device, however, occurs on the TiO2 side but not on the Pt side. These results are discussed in terms of a photo-electrochemical mechanism at semiconductor surfaces.

By means of the multiple marker analysis, a total of 55 human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines which included 15 T-cell, 30 B-cell, four myelomonocytic-cell, and six non-T, non-B cell lines was characterized for their marker profiles. The multiple markers used included a number of cell surface markers as detected by either rosette or immunofluorescence tests, enzyme assays, cytogenetic analysis, and certain functional assay. Based on the criteria previously defined it was found that all the cell lines were proved to represent original leukemia-lymphoma of ALL, AML, CLL, CML in blastic phase or variety of lymphomas. The monoclonality, a “frozen” state at a specific stage of differentiation-maturation, and cytogenetic marker in each leukemia-lymphoma cell line were remarkable common properties and were stable for years of cultivation. Similar, if not identical, general characteristics were observed in the study on 344 cases of uncultured fresh leukemia-lymphomas by the multiple marker analysis. While no single marker specific to any type of tumor was found, the study offers not only a basis for better understanding of the biology of leukemia-lymphoma but also an insight into normal hematopoietic cell differentiation in man.