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Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury is a clinically important problem. While the mechanisms of the initial event and subsequent neutrophil-dependent injury are somewhat understood, little is known about the regulation of endogenous hepatoprotective effects on this injury. Interleukin 12 (IL-12) plays a role in the induction of this injury, but involvement of interleukin 18 (IL-18) has not been clarified. Using a murine model of partial hepatic ischemia and subsequent reperfusion, the aim of the current study was to determine whether IL-18 is up-regulated during hepatic ischemia/reperfusion and to determine the role of endogenous IL-18 in the development and regulation of inflammatory hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hepatic IL-18 expression was up-regulated from 1 to 8 hours after reperfusion. Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) activation, as defined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and caused significant increases in liver neutrophil recruitment, apoptosis, hepatocellular injury, and liver edema as defined by liver myeloperoxidase content, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining, serum aminotransferase levels, and liver wet-to-dry weight ratios. In mice treated with neutralizing antibody to IL-18, ischemia/reperfusion-induced increases in CXC chemokine expression, activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1, and apoptosis were greatly reduced. Furthermore, under blockade of IL-18, anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10 were greatly up-regulated. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) was significantly activated under blockade of IL-18. These conditions also caused significant reduction in liver neutrophil sequestration and liver injury. In conclusion, the data suggest that IL-18 is required for facilitating neutrophil-dependent hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury through suppressing anti-inflammatory cytokine expression.

Objective Stenting of small coronary arteries has always been limited by high rates of restenosis, and restenosis has mainly been attributed to inflammatory reactions resulting in cell proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Based on our experience for several years, we retrospectively investigated the effect of hydrocortisone on reducing in-stent restenosis. Patients and Methods Study population consisted of consecutive 166 patients, 221 lesions, who electively underwent stent implantations stent diameter less than 3 mm into coronary arteries between February 1999 and October 2002. We intravenously administered hydrocortisone before the procedure to 40 patients for preventing allergic reactions due to contrast material, and the effect of hydrocortisone on reducing restenosis was retrospectively compared with 126 patients who did not receive this treatment. Results There was no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, or hypertension between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the type of lesion, length of stent, balloon/artery ratio, or initial success rate between the two groups, but stent diameter was significantly smaller in the hydrocortisone group compared with the control group. On six-month angiographic follow-up, the restenosis rate was significantly lower in the hydrocortisone group compared with the control group (16.2% vs 34.0%, respectively), and the target lesion revascularization rate was also significantly lower in the hydrocortisone group compared with the control group (13.2% vs 27.5%, respectively). Conclusion These results suggest that intravenous administration of hydrocortisone reduces in-stent restenosis of small coronary arteries. Prospectively controlled trials will be necessary to confirm this preventive effect of hydrocortisone.(Internal Medicine 42: 1084-1089, 2003)

We have developed and are operating an object-oriented data reduction and data analysis system, DASH ( Distributed Analysis Software Hierarchy ), for efficient data processing for SUBARU telescope. In DASH, all information for reducing a set of data is packed into an abstracted object, named as ``Hierarchy''. It contains rules how to search calibration data, reduction procedure to the final result, and also the reduction log. With Hierarchy, DASH works as an automated reduction pipeline platform cooperated with STARS (Subaru Telescope ARchive System). DASH is implemented on CORBA and Java technology. The portability of these technology enables us to make a subset of the system for a small stand-alone system, SASH. SASH is compatible with DASH and one can continuously reduce and analyze data between DASH and SASH.

Alpha-thujaplicin, a minor component of Thujopsis dolabrata SIEB. et ZUCC. var. hondai MAKINO, which was synthesized, showed the antibacterial activity, phytogrowth-inhibitory effect, inhibition of carboxypeptidase A and cytotoxic effect. Antibacterial activity of alpha-thujaplicin on Enterococcus faecalis IFO-12965 [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): 1.56 microg/ml] was higher than that of gentamicin (MIC: 6.25 microg/ml) used as a positive control. Inhibitory activity of alpha-thujaplicin on carboxypeptidase A [50% inhibitory concentration (IC50): 3.24 x 10(-5) M] was higher than that of 1,10-phenanthroline used as a positive control. Alpha-thujaplicin showed germination inhibition toward the seed of Echinochloa utilis Ohwi et Yabuno even at the low concentration of 10 ppm and its growth inhibitory effect was stronger than that of sodium 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate used as a standard. Alpha-thujaplicin at 1.25 microg/ml inhibited cell growth of human stomach cancer KATO-IIl by 86%, and Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma by 87%, respectively. This compound even at the low concentration of 0.32 microg/ml also inhibited cell growth of the former by 66%, and the latter by 75%, respectively. The acute toxicity of alpha-thujaplicin [50% lethal dose (LD50) value: 256 mg/kg] in mice was as strong as those of beta-dolabrin (LD50 value: 232 mg/kg) and gamma-thujaplicin (LD50 value: 277 mg/kg).

Factors affecting the stereochemical course of the intramolecular cycloaddition of intermediary alpha-allyloxycarbonylnitrone resulting from transesterification of alpha-methoxycarbonylnitrones 1a-d with chiral allyl alcohols 5 or 6 were investigated systematically. It was found that the factors of diastereofacial selection are highly dependent on the geometries of the allyl alcohols. In the cases where primary or secondary chiral (Z)-allyl alcohols are used, A(1,3)-strain arising from the chiralities in the (Z)-nitrone transition states of the intramolecular cycloaddtion is the most important factor. In contrast, in the case of the reaction using chiral nitrones 1c,d and (E)-allyl alcohols, steric interaction between the chiral N-substituent and the trans substituent of the olefin moiety in the intermediate is dominant. These aspects were applied to geometry-differentiated cycloaddition using a mixture of (E)-5 and (Z)-5. As a typical example, treatment of bulky 1b with a 1:1 mixture of (E)-5 and (Z)-5 in the presence of a catalytic amount of TiCl(4) and MS 4A gave 7b as the predominant product among four possible products.

Hinokitiol (beta-thujaplicin), beta-dolabrin and gamma-thujaplicin isolated from Thujopsis dolabrata SIEB. et ZUCC var hondai MAKINO showed antifungal activities against all of the wood-rotting fungi examined. The antifungal activity of three compounds on Daedalea dickinsii IFO-4979 was especially strong, their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values being 0.2 microg/ml. Their antifungal activities on D. dickinsii IFO-4979 were as high as that of amphotericin B used as a positive control. Three compounds had strong insecticidal activities on Tyrophagus putrescentiae [50%-lethal concentration (LC50 : g/m2) 0.25 in hinokitiol, 0.02 in beta-dolabrin and gamma-thujaplicin. Their insecticidal activities were higher than that of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET, LC50 : 1.46 g/m2) used as a positive control. Three compounds also showed strong insecticidal activity on Coptotermes formosanus [LC50 (g/m2) 0.07 in hinokitiol, 0.05 in beta-dolabrin and gamma-thujaplicin], although their insecticidal activities were much lower than that of commercial chloropyrifos (LC50 : 0.00016 g/m2).

Beta-dolabrin and gamma-thujaplicin isolated from Thujopsis dolabrata Sieb. et Zucc. var hondai Makino, like hinokitiol, showed strong phytogrowth-inhibitory activities, and their growth-inhibitory activities were as high as that of sodium 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate used as a positive control. In particular, the phytogrowth-inhibitory activity of gamma-thujaplicin was strong and it completely inhibited the germination of this seed of Brassica campestris L. subsp. rapa Hook f. et Anders at the concentration of 30 ppm. Both compounds exhibited inhibitory activities on B. campestris L. subsp. rapa Hook f. et Anders and Sesamum indicum Linne, even at the low concentration of 10 ppm. At 7 d after treatment with beta-dolabrin and gamma-thujaplicin, the amount of chlorophyll in the cotyledons of B. campestris L. subsp. rapa Hook f. et Anders treated with both compounds was greatly decreased as compared with the control. The findings indicate that the phytogrowth-inhibitory action might be a common biological activity of hinokitiol-related compounds, suggesting that at least a part of their phytogrowth-inhibitory actions seems to be related to a decrease in chlorophyll content.

The catalase gene of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans was cloned and its expression was examined. Activity of the catalase was detected when cells which were in the early logarithmic stage were treated with hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, activity was detected without any treatment to cells in the late logarithmic and stationary phases. When cells were cultured in galactose, glycerol, or ethanol, catalase activity was always observed without the hydrogen peroxide treatment, suggesting that glucose represses the induction of catalase expression. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of catalase expression, the putative gene for catalase and its 5' untranscribed region were cloned. Sequences of the gene and its potential regulatory region revealed several motifs, including a GC box-like element and stress-responsive element (STRE), which could be involved in the transcriptional regulation. Northern analysis showed that hydrogen peroxide and sorbitol activated transcription of the catalase. On the other hand, treatment of glucose strictly repressed the expression of the catalase even when co-treated with hydrogen peroxide. The expression of catalase against treatment with hydrogen peroxide took place very quickly and decreased slowly in the experimental condition adopted here. From these results, we assumed that the expression of the catalase in Candida albicans is regulated by various environmental conditions via motifs for transcriptional activation as in other yeast catalases.

Gamma-thujaplicin, beta-dolabrin and hinokitiol(beta-thujaplicin), hinokitiol-related compounds isolated from the wood of Thujopsis dolabrata S. and Z. hondai MAK have antimicrobial activity. In particular, strong antibacterial activity of hinokitiol and beta-dolabrin on Staphylococcus epidermidis IFO-12993 was found, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.2 microg/ml. This activity was higher than that of gentamicin, used as a positive control, and so the strong antibacterial activity of both compounds on this bacterium is of considerable interest. Of the three compounds, gamma-thujaplicin showed the strongest antifungal activity and its MIC was found to be around 1.5 microg/ml. The three compounds also inhibited metalloproteases. The inhibitory activity of hinokitiol on carboxypeptidase A was especially strong, its 50%-inhibitory concentration (IC50) being 2.76x10(-6) M. Considering that metalloproteases are involved in inflammation, the strong inhibitory activity of hinokitiol could be important. On the other hand, hinokitiol-acetate did not show any antimicrobial activity and metalloprotease inhibition, suggesting that at least part of the activity is due to metal chelation between the carbonyl group at C-1 and the hydroxyl group at C-2 in the tropolone skeleton.

Experimental reduction of the amount of CpG methylation in a highly repetitive DNA component was achieved by growth of Ac2F cells in the presence of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine or procainamide, as judged by the results of methyl-sensitive restriction endonuclease digestion and colony hybridization. Modification of genomic DNA with these DNA methylation inhibitors increased the release of 370-bp highly repetitive DNA from rat chromosomal DNA by HindIII digestion. This result indicated that highly repetitive DNA components in the nuclear scaffold fraction are hypermethylated. On the other hand, methylated DNA was used for southwestern analysis to investigate the protein(s) which bind specifically to the DNA in the nuclear scaffold fraction. The introduction of additional methylated cytosines within a highly repetitive DNA component affected the binding of DNA to the nuclear scaffold proteins. Thus, cytosine methylation may be involved in the regulation of gene expression and construction of the higher-order structure of chromatin.

Subaru Observation Control System has selected Ethernet and FiberChannel as their standard interface to instruments. Every instrument should connect themselves with at least one of the LANs. Regarding the data transfer to Hilo base, the first concern is that no data must be lost during transfer process, whatever troubles may happen on hardware or network. In the hardware, we provide RAID, tape library at the summit and another RAID at the base facility. As the other measure in software, we have the data file management by Subaru Observation Software System, which enables users to track the location of the file. The hardware configuration of the summit simulation system, which is for the instrument test and so on, is presented. The telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea has been connected to the super computer at the base facility via OC12. This high-speed network is used not only data transfer and IP communication, but also for multimedia communication such as video or telephone. The multimedia project is introduced.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We are developing a data reduction and analysis system DASH for efficient data processing of the SUBARU telescope. We adopted CORBA as a distributed object environment and Java for a user interface in the prototype of DASH. Moreover, we introduced a data reduction procedure cube as a kind of visual procedure script.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Subaru observation software system (SOSS) provides observers with so called high-level user interface, scheduler and data archival system. This paper presents both software and hardware environment for test, debug and development of instrument controller (OBCP) and SOSS. The environment is composed of instrumentation software toolkit, instrumentation software simulator, telescope simulator and summit simulation computer system.

The contribution of ATP sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels to the infarct-size limiting effect of preconditioning is considered to be anaesthetic-dependent in the rabbit heart. It has previously been reported that ischaemic preconditioning prevents ischaemia-induced reductions in activities of sarcolemmal adenylate cyclase (AC) and Na+, K(+)-ATPase. Anaesthetic dependency of the role of K(ATP) channels in the preservation of these enzyme activities, induced by ischaemic preconditioning, as well as that induced by activation of A1-adenosine receptors, was examined in rabbits anaesthetized with either pentobarbital or ketamine-xylazine and subjected to 20 min of regional ischaemia. Adenylate cyclase and Na+, K(+)-ATPase activities were lower in the ischaemic than in the non-ischaemic region of the hearts in control rabbits, but not in animals subjected to ischaemic preconditioning, or those pretreated with the A1-adenosine receptor agonist R(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine. The protective effects of both ischaemic preconditioning and A1-adenosine receptor activation were prevented by 6 mg/kg, but not 3 mg/kg, of the K(ATP) channel blocker, glibenclamide, in rabbits anaesthetized with pentobarbital, while these effects were prevented by 3 mg/kg of the blocker in rabbits anaesthetized with ketamine-xylazine. Moreover, K(ATP) channel opener, cromakalim, prevented the ischaemia-induced decreases in enzymatic activities in rabbits subjected to either type of anaesthesia. Thus, although the antagonistic effect of glibenclamide is blunted under pentobarbital, compared to ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia, K(ATP) channels contribute to preservative actions independent of the type of anaesthesia in the rabbit heart.

The spliced leader (SL) RNA plays a key role in mRNA maturation in trypanosomatid protozoa by providing the SL sequence, which is joined to the 5' end of every mRNA. As a first step towards a better understanding of the biogenesis and function of the SL RNA, we expressed a tagged SL RNA gene in a cell-free system of procyclic Trypanosoma brucei cells. Transcription initiates at + 1 can be detected as early as 1 min after addition of extract. Transcription of the SL RNA gene in vitro, as well as in permeable cells, is mediated by an alpha-amanitin/tagetitoxin resistant complex, suggesting a promoter that is intermediate between a classical RNA polymerase II and RNA polymerase III promoter. An analysis of the promoter architecture of the SL RNA gene revealed that regulatory elements are located upstream of the coding region and that the SL sequence, in contrast to the nematode SL sequence, is not required for T. brucei SL RNA gene transcription.

Purpose: Although Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is commonly seen in patients with acute Myocardial Infarction (MI), clinical implications of the condition have not fully elucidated. Since transition from sinus rhythm to AF in the acute phase of MI may further deteriorate hemodynamics, the study objective was to elucidate the impact of new-onset AF on prognosis of acute MI patients. Methods: The study included 722 consecutive patients with acute MI. During index hospitalization period, AF was documented in 113 patients (AF group). The remaining 609 patients consist of non-AF group. The AF group was further divided into two groups; new-onset AF after admission (New-AF) group (n=76, 10.5%), and preexisting AF (Pre-AF) group (n=37, 5.1%). The cardiac mortality during 90 days after the onset of MI was compared among the subgroups. Results: The AF group was older and had more impaired renal function and a higher Killip class than the Non-AF group on admission. During the follow-up period, 62 patients (8.6%) died due to cardiac causes: pump failure (n=44), ventricular arrhythmias (n=9), cardiac rupture (n=8), and re-infarction (n=1). Cardiac mortality was significantly higher in AF group (n=25, 21.2%) than in Non-AF group (n=37, 6.1%) (HR of 4.0, 95% CI 2.4-6.7, p

Purpose: About 30% of patients with heart failure do not respond to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT); ischemic cardiomyopathy negatively influences the response. The study objective was to determine the impact of global and regional myocardial scar burden on CRT outcomes by using AutoQUANT. Methods: We studied 38 consecutive CRT recipients (28 men; age 70±7 years old; ischemic cardiomyopathy, n= 12; Left Ventricular [LV] ejection fraction 23.5±9.4%; QRS duration 158±30ms). All the patients underwent resting 99mTc-MIBI gated-myocardial perfusion SPECT prior to CRT. The SPECT images were analyzed by AutoQUANT 7.2 to quantify the global Defect Extent (DE), an index of global scarring, as well as the regional DE in each of the 17 segments of the LV, an index of regional scar burden. CRT response was defined as a decrease of >10% in the LV end systolic volume at 6 months after CRT device implantation based on the QGS analysis of the SPECT images. Results: Twelve patients did not respond CRT. The response rate was lower in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy than those with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (25% vs. 85%, p

The research on next generation solid propellant rockets is actively underway in various spectra. JAXA is developing the Advanced Solid Rocket (ASR) as a successor to the M-V launch vehicle, which was utilized over past ten years for space science programs including planetary missions. ASR is a result of the development of the next generation technology including a highly intelligent autonomous check-out system, which is connected to not only the solid rocket but also future transportation systems. It is expected to improve the efficiency of the launch system and double the cost performance. Far beyond this effort, the passion of the volunteers among the industry-government-academia cooperation has been united to establish the society of the freewheeling thinking "Next generation Solid Rocket Society (NSRS)". It aims at a larger revolution than what the ASR provides so that the order of the cost performance is further improved. A study of the Low melting temperature Thermoplastic Propellant (LTP) is now at the experimental stage, which is expected to reform the manufacturing process of the solid rocket propellant leading to an increase in the cost performance by a factor of ten. This paper indicates the direction of the big flow towards the next generation solid-propellant rockets: the concept of the intelligent ASR under development; and the innovation behind LTP

Efforts have been paid to realize a new composite propellant using thermoplastics as a fuel binder and lithium as a metallic fuel. Thermoplastics binder makes it possible the storage of solid propellant in small blocks and to provide propellants blocks into rocket motor case at a quantity needed just before use, which enables the production facility of solid propellant at a minimum level, thus, production cost significantly lower. Lithium has been a candidate for a metallic fuel for the ammonium perchlorate based composite propellants owing to its capability to reduce the hydrogen chloride in the exhaust gas, however, never been used because lithium is not stable at room conditions and complex reaction products between oxygen, nitrogen, and water are formed at the surface of particles and even in the core. However, lithium particles whose surface shell structure is well controlled are rather stable and can be stored in thermoplastics for a long period. Evaluation of several organic thermoplastics whose melting temperatures are easily tractable was made from the standpoint of combustion characteristics, and it is shown that thermoplastics propellants can cover wide range of burning rate spectrum. Formation of well-defined surface shell of lithium particles and its kinetics are also discussed.

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) reduced the peak rise or slowed the rate of rise in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca]in) induced by quisqualate, kainate, or high KCl in immature cerebellar Purkinje cell bodies. The sustained rise or repeated transient of [Ca]in induced by tetraethylammonium, veratridine, or Bay-K-8644 was lowered to the basal level by adding GABA, although the inhibition by GABA of Bay-K-8644-induced rise in [Ca]in was only slight and transient in some cells. These findings indicate that GABA inhibits the rise in [Ca]in by hyperpolarizing the membrane potentials at Purkinje cell bodies.

Horizontal and vertical saccades were recorded and quantitatively analyzed with an infrared video recording system in 6 normal human subjects. Peak and mean saccade velocities increased exponentially as the amplitude increased. Peak velocity of horizontal saccade was significantly larger than that of vertical saccade (p less than 0.05, ANOVA test). On the other hand, duration and latency showed a linear relationship with saccade amplitude. Latency was constant (i.e. 0.21 s) irrespective of saccade amplitude in the regular eye tracking mode; however, latency slightly increased as the amplitude became larger in the randomized eye tracking mode. As a result, a slight positive correlation could be found between saccade amplitude and latency: r = 0.50 and 0.35 in horizontal and vertical saccades, respectively.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate and glycine increased the cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca]in) in medium-sized cerebellar neurons. Spontaneous changes in [Ca]in were occasionally observed in NMDA-responsive cells, but large increases in [Ca]in were triggered only through depolarizations by adding veratridine or K+ channel blockers in every cell examined. The [Ca]in increase was suppressed by voltage-dependent Na+ and Ca2+ channel blockers and by an inhibitory transmitter (GABA), suggesting that the generation of Na+ spikes is involved in the increase in [Ca]in.

The ontogeny of the expression of prepro-neurotensin/neuromedin N messenger RNA (prepro-NT/NN mRNA) in the rat posterior cingulate cortex (retrosplenial cortex) and the hippocampal formation was investigated using in situ hybridization histochemistry. In the primordium of the posterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampal formation, prepro-NT/NN mRNA was first expressed on embryonic day 17, and was found in the subiculum, layers II-III in areas 29a and 29b, and layer VI in the posterior cingulate cortex at birth. Expression was also observed in the CA1 field. In the adult rat, the expression of prepro-NT/NN mRNA was reduced in the posterior cingulate cortex, and only a few positive cells were seen here. However, the CA1 field and the subiculum still contained numerous positive cells.

Cellular protooncogenes such as c-myc and c-Ha-ras may play important roles in the control of regeneration of the stomach. In this study, in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunohistochemistry were used to determine how these protooncogenes and the corresponding oncoproteins are expressed at the cellular level during gastric regeneration after mucosal injuries caused by indomethacin. In addition, cells in the S-phase were immunohistochemically detected by means of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation. Expression of the c-myc gene was localized to nuclei and reached a maximum at 3 h, and that of the c-Ha-ras gene was localized to cytoplasm with a peak at 6-12 h after treatment on the mucous neck, parietal, chief, and enterochromaffinlike cells around the lesions. The distribution of cells in the S-phase roughly coincided with that of cells in which expression of the protooncogenes was detected. In conclusion, various types of gastric mucosal cells participated in the sequential regulated expression of cellular protooncogenes during regeneration of the rat stomach.

Isolated immature cerebellar Purkinje cell bodies often exhibit the spontaneous fluctuations of a cytosolic free Ca concentration ([ Ca]in), which was measured by fura-2 microfluorimetry. In silent cells, however, the increase of [Ca]in could be triggered by pharmacological depolarizations (adding veratridine or tetraethylammonium). In any case, these [Ca]in changes were sensitive to voltage-dependent channel blockers (tetrodotoxin and Ca channel blockers) and to an inhibitory transmitter (GABA). The results suggest that the spontaneous activation of voltage-dependent Na+ and Ca2+ channels might be involved in the increase of [Ca]in.

We describe the study of a chemically modified quartz surface by atomic force microscopy and friction force microscopy. The chemically modified surface was covered with hydrocarbon (HC) and fluorocarbon (FC) in different parts. The region selective surface chemical modification with two different silanization reagents was successfully accomplished by the following procedure: exposed quartz surfaces of a quartz plate covered with microlithographically prepared patterns of chromium film were first modified with one of the silanization reagents, then the patterns of chromium film were etched, and finally, newly exposed quartz surfaces were modified with the other silanization reagent. The chemical modification with such etching allowed patterning with a submicrometer scale. Since the location of the surfaces covered with two different chemical species was known in the chemically modified surfaces, assignment of the measured frictions to the individual surfaces was definite. The relative values of the differe...

We found an increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity in motoneurons of rat spinal cord after peripheral axotomy. By means of in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern blotting, we further demonstrated that this increase was the result of increased levels of alpha-CGRP mRNA, not beta-CGRP mRNA. The increased level of alpha-CGRP mRNA was maintained for at least 5 weeks, and was present on both sides. In addition, alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP mRNAs had different distributions from each other in the dorsal root ganglia and levels of both were decreased after axotomy. These results indicate that alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP are regulated independently and have different roles in the motor and sensory systems of the spinal cord.

We found an increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity in motoneurons of rat spinal cord after peripheral axotomy. By means of in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern blotting, we further demonstrated that this increase was the result of increased levels of alpha-CGRP mRNA, not beta-CGRP mRNA. The increased level of alpha-CGRP mRNA was maintained for at least 5 weeks, and was present on both sides. In addition, alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP mRNAs had different distributions from each other in the dorsal root ganglia and levels of both were decreased after axotomy. These results indicate that alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP are regulated independently and have different roles in the motor and sensory systems of the spinal cord.

Isthmic afferent neurons were investigated by the retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method in a teleost, Navodon modestus. Following HRP injections into the nucleus isthmi, large pyriform neurons are labeled in the ipsilateral optic tectum. Very large and multipolar neurons are also labeled in the ipsilateral nucleus pretectalis. No labeled neurons were found in other areas.