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Polymers having both epoxy moieties and thermally cleavable tertiary ester moieties in the side chain were synthesized and characterized. On UV irradiation, polymer films containing photoacid generators (PAG) such as 9-fluorenilideneimino p-toluenesulfonate (FITS) and triphenylsulfonium triflate (TPST) became insoluble in tetrahydrofuran. The insoluble fraction of the irradiated films was increased by postexposure-baking at 90 °C if FITS was used as a PAG. When the cross-linked polymer films were baked at 160−180 °C, they became soluble in methanol. The effective baking temperature was dependent on the type of PAG used and on the polymer structure. Thermal degradation of the photochemically induced network polymers was studied by FT−IR spectroscopy, TGA analysis, and film thickness changes.

To understand the mechanism of transcriptional regulation, it is essential to identify and characterize the promoter, which is located proximal to the mRNA start site. To identify the promoters from the large volumes of genomic sequences, we used mRNA start sites determined by a large-scale sequencing of the cDNA libraries constructed by the "oligo-capping" method. We aligned the mRNA start sites with the genomic sequences and retrieved adjacent sequences as potential promoter regions (PPRs) for 1031 genes. The PPR sequences were searched to determine the frequencies of major promoter elements. Among 1031 PPRs, 329 (32%) contained TATA boxes, 872 (85%) contained initiators, 999 (97%) contained GC box, and 663 (64%) contained CAAT box. Furthermore, 493 (48%) PPRs were located in CpG islands. This frequency of CpG islands was reduced in TATA(+)/Inr(+) PPRs and in the PPRs of ubiquitously expressed genes. In the PPRs of the CGM2 gene, the DRA gene, and the TM30pl genes, which showed highly colon specific expression patterns, the consensus sequences of E boxes were commonly observed. The PPRs were also useful for exploring promoter SNPs.

Two experiments were conducted to determine effects of Juzen-taiho-to on endometrial carcinogenesis in mice. In the first experiment, Juzen-taiho-to treatment (2 weeks) decreased the levels of estradiol-17beta (E(2))-stimulated expression of c-fos/jun mRNA and their oncoproteins, determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis, and the immunohistochemical method, in the uteri of ovarectomized mice. For the second experiment, 93 female ICR mice were given N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) solution (1 mg/100 g body weight) and normal saline (as controls) into their left and right uterine corpora, respectively, and were divided into four groups. Group 1 was given a diet containing 0.2% Juzen-taiho-to and 5 p.p.m. E(2). Group 2 was given a diet containing 5 p.p.m. E(2) alone. Group 3 was given a diet containing 0.2% Juzen-taiho-to alone. Group 4 was kept on the basal diet alone and treated as a control. Juzen-taiho-to treatment significantly decreased incidences of the uterine endometrial atypical (P<0.01), complex (P<0.05) and simple hyperplasias (P<0.01), under estrogenic stimulation. It is suggested that Juzen-taiho-to has an inhibitory effect on E2-related endometrial carcinogenesis in mice, relevantly through suppression of estrogen-induced c-fos/jun-expression.

Conical Si projections generated on Si wafers bombarded with obliquely incident Ar+ ions were studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The cones were composed of an [111]-oriented bulk phase covered with a disordered thin layer, but the bulk phase was not perfectly ordered, containing an amorphous domain underneath the outermost area. Such a multi-phase structure is inexplicable in terms of ion erosion, suggesting interplay of the redeposition of sputtered Si atoms on the bombarded area with the ion-erosion process so as to promote cone evolution. The cones were also characterized by the development of web-like platelets at their acute angles, an indication of a crystal growth process involved in the surface phenomenon observed.

In a total of 113 cases of endometrial neoplasm, we studied the immunohistochemical expression of estradiol (E2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Positive immunoreactivity of E2 was found in 61% of the neoplasms. E2 immunoreactivity correlated well with high histologic grade and early clinical stage. Positive immunoreactivity for EGF or EGFR was found in 25.6% or 53.1% of the neoplasms, respectively. However, this was unrelated to histologic grade or clinical stage. On the other hand, TGFalpha immunoreactivity was found in 67% of endometrial neoplasias and was correlated with poor histologic grade and advanced stage. Contingency tables indicated a significant negative association between the status of E2 and that of TGFalpha. Simultaneous expression of E2, EGF and EGFR, or E2, TGFalpha and EGFR was found in 6.8% and 15.9% of endometrial carcinomas, respectively. These results suggest that a predominant number of endometrial carcinomas escape autocrine/paracrine growth regulation by EGF and E2 or TGFalpha and E2, and that TGFalpha may be involved in the progression of endometrial carcinoma.

Abstract: A 32-year infertile Japanese woman suffered from endometrial cancer, which was treated with repeated endometrial curettage and medroxyprogesterone acetate for 6 months. The patient then became pregnant and was delivered of a live-born male infant at 37 weeks gestation by cesarean section for placenta previa. At cesarean section there were no abnormal findings in the uterine cavity or other pelvic organs.

Abstract: We reviewed the MRI studies of 25 patients with occipital lobe infarcts to clarify the distribution of infarcts in the posterior cerebral arterial territory, focussing on their relationship to the striate cortex. Visual field defects and MRI findings were also correlated in 16 patients. On coronal and/or sagittal images, the distribution of the infarct and its relationship to the striate cortex were classified. Involvement of the cortex of both upper and lower lips of the calcarine fissure was observed in 10 patients, and involvement of the lower lip alone in 15. The upper cortical lesions were always accompanied by lower cortical lesions. The visual field defects were complete hemianopia in nine patients, superior quadrantanopia in six and hemianopia with a preserved temporal crescent in one. All patients with superior quadrantanopia had involvement of the lower cortex alone; there were no cases of inferior quadrantanopia. The characteristic vascular anatomy, and poor development of the collateral circulation in the lower cortical area, may explain the vulnerability of this area to infarcts.

Endometrial fibroblasts derived from uterine endometrium as controls and endometrial cancer cell lines (Ishikawa and HHUA cells) were analyzed for the induction manner of c-fos and c-jun transcripts in endometrial cancers, some of which are estrogen-dependent in growth. Estrogen increased c-fos expression and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in fibroblasts and Ishikawa cells, but not in HHUA cells. Progesterone diminished c-fos and c-jun expression and PKC activity induced by estradiol in the fibroblasts, but not in Ishikawa cells, which persistently overexpressed c-fos and c-jun. In these cells, 12-0-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) increased c-fos and c-jun expression as did estradiol. Pretreatment with 1-(5-isoqrrinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7) abolished estrogen-inducible over-expression of c-fos arid c-jun. The combination of both estradiol and TPA at maximum effective concentration exerted no additive and syneugistic effect on induction of c-fos and c-jun expression.In conclusion, persistent activation of PKC might lead to overexpression of c-fos and c-jun in some endometrial cancers with an estrogen predominant milieu, which might be, at least in part, associated with the transformation or growth potential.

Co-expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and its receptor (c-fms) is often found in ovarian epithelial carcinoma, suggesting the existence of autocrine regulation of cell growth by M-CSF. To block this autocrine loop, we have developed hammerhead ribozymes against c-fms mRNA. As target sites of the ribozyme, we chose the GUC sequence in codon 18 and codon 27 of c-fms mRNA. Two kinds of ribozymes were able to cleave an artificial c-fms RNA substrate in a cell-free system, although the ribozyme against codon 18 was much more efficient than that against codon 27. We next constructed an expression vector carrying a ribozyme sequence that targeted the GUC sequence in codon 18 of c-fms mRNA. It was introduced into TYK-nu cells that expressed M-CSF and its receptor. Its transfectant showed a reduced growth potential. The expression levels of c-fms protein and mRNA in the transfectant were clearly decreased with the expression of ribozyme RNA compared with that of an untransfected control or a transfectant with the vector without the ribozyme sequence. These results suggest that the ribozyme against GUC in codon 18 of c-fms mRNA is a promising tool for blocking the autocrine loop of M-CSF in ovarian epithelial carcinoma.

Inactivation of the tumour-suppressor gene p53 has been demonstrated in a variety of human tumours. We extracted DNA from paraffin-embedded tissues of 67 ovarian carcinoma samples (54 primary tumours, seven metastases and six tumours obtained after chemotherapy), and analysed allelic losses and mutations of the p53 gene using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of DNA fragments amplified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Allelic loss was observed in 24 of 32 informative cases. The mutation was detected in 14 of 54 primary ovarian carcinomas: eight serous cystadenocarcinomas (SCA), 42%), five endometrioid adenocarcinomas (EA, 42%) and one mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (14%). The incidence of the alteration was higher in SCA and EA than in other histological types, but the difference was not statistically significant. The incidence of p53 gene abnormalities in ovarian carcinomas tended to be increased in patients with disease advanced (over FIGO stage II). Mutations were found in exons 5 and 7 only and consisted mainly of single nucleotide substitutions [9 or 14 (64%) in exon 7; 4 of 14 (29%) in exon 5]. In 13 of 14 cases, p53 gene mutations occurred concomitantly with losses of the normal allele. The status of the p53 gene in metastases and the tumours obtained after chemotherapy was identical to that in the primary tumours. The presence of p53 gene mutation did not correlate with histological grade, response to primary therapy and survival. These findings suggest that mutational alterations of the p53 gene are involved in the development of a significant proportion of some ovarian carcinomas (SCAs or EAs), especially in advanced stages. However, they may not be a marker predicting the biological behaviour or the outcome of the disease.

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms are very uncommon. They are difficult to detect until they rupture and cause hypovolaemic shock. We performed embolization in four cases of aneurysm of branches of the superior mesenteric artery, succeeding in three cases without the need for surgical treatment. In the first case, the aneurysm was excised because of migration of a microcoil into the left hepatic artery. It was not retrieved because sufficient blood flow to the liver was shown on angiography after migration and no ischaemic change of liver was detected on laparotomy. In the second case, the aneurysm arose from the anterior pancreaticoduodenal artery. In the third case, the patient had two SMA aneurysms, one had been resected at surgery, another was revealed on follow-up angiography and embolized with microcoils. The fourth patient had a jejunal artery aneurysm with extravasation; haemostasis was achieved by packing it In all four cases, no major complications were observed in the clinical course after embolization. Microcoils were considered to be the desirable embolic material, in order to prevent post-therapeutic ischaemic change. Embolization should be the treatment of choice for SMA aneurysms, because it is less invasive and takes less time than surgical treatment.

BodyMap is a human and mouse gene expression database that is based on site-directed 3'-expressed sequence tags generated at Osaka University. To date, it contains more than 300 000 tag sequences from 64 human and 39 mouse tissues. For the recent release, the precise anatomical expression patterns for more than half of the human gene entries were generated by introduced amplified fragment length polymorphism (iAFLP), which is a PCR-based high-throughput expression profiling method. The iAFLP data incorporated into BodyMap describe the relative contents of more than 12 000 transcripts across 30 tissue RNAs. In addition, a newly developed gene ranking system helps users obtain lists of genes that have desired expression patterns according to their significance. BodyMap supports complete transfer of unique data sets and provides analysis that is accessible through the WWW at http://bodymap.ims.u-tokyo.ac. jp.

BodyMap is a human and mouse gene expression database that has been maintained since 1993. It is based on site-directed 3'-ESTs collected from non-biased cDNA libraries constructed at Osaka University and contains >270 000 sequences from 60 human and 38 mouse tissues. The site-directed nature of the sequence tags allows unequivocal grouping of tags representing the same transcript and provides abundance information for each transcript in different parts of the body. Our collection of ESTs was compared periodically with other public databases for cross referencing. The histological resolution of source tissues and unique cloning strategy that minimized cloning bias enabled BodyMap to support three unique mRNA based experiments in silico. First, the recurrence information for clones in each library provides a rough estimate of the mRNA composition of each source tissue. Second, a user can search the entire data set with nucleotide sequences or keywords to assess expression patterns of particular genes. Third, and most important, BodyMap allows a user to select genes that have a desired expression pattern in humans and mice. BodyMap is accessible through the WWW at http://bodymap.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp