Lin Z

Essential involvement of IL-6 in the skin wound-healing process as evidenced by delayed wound healing in IL-6-deficient mice.

To clarify interleukin (IL)‐6 roles in wound healing, we prepared skin excisions in wild‐type (WT) and IL‐6‐deficient BALB/c [knockout (KO)] mice. In WT mice, the wound area was reduced to 50% of original size at 6 days after injury. Microscopically, leukocyte infiltration was evident at wound sites. Furthermore, the re‐epithelialization rate was ∼80% at 6 days after injury with increases in angiogenesis and hydroxyproline contents. The gene expression of IL‐1, chemokines, adhesion molecules, transforming growth factor‐β1, and vascular endothelial growth factor was enhanced at the wound sites. In contrast, the enhanced expression of these genes was significantly reduced in KO mice. Moreover, in KO mice, the reduction of wound area was delayed with attenuated leukocyte infiltration, re‐epithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen accumulation. Finally, the administration of a neutralizing anti‐IL‐6 monoclonal antibody significantly delayed wound closure in WT mice. These observations suggest that IL‐6 has crucial roles in wound healing, probably by regulating leukocyte infiltration, angiogenesis, and collagen accumulation.

Screening of volatile substances and determination of toluene (a thinner component) in the blood and urine in emergency medical care and autopsy cases by the pulse heating method

Screening of volatile substances was performed by pulse heating gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using a GS-Q column in 211 emergency medical care and 342 autopsy cases. At least 36 standard substances could be separately detected. Six kinds of volatile substances were screened in a total of 553 cases. Toluene and/or hippuric acid were detected in the blood and/or urine in respectively, 4 emergency medical care and 8 autopsy cases. There were 11 abusers (9 males and 2 females) in these 12 positive cases. The ages of the abusers ranged from 13-26 years. There was no particular pattern to the monthly frequency distribution of identification of thinner (toluene) abuse cases, which occurred throughout the year. It is believed that these data at least partly reflect the present status of thinner/glue abuse in Japan. We conclude that pulse heating GC-MS is useful in the screening and quantitative determination of volatile substances including toluene and other thinner/glue components.

Unexpected sudden death of a 12-year-old male with congenital single coronary artery.

A rare autopsy case of a 12-year-old male with a single coronary artery is reported in which he suddenly and unexpectedly died after a brief period of physical and mental excitation. The single coronary artery originated from the left aortic sinus, then branched out the left circumflex artery and afterwards descended as the left anterior descending artery, while the right coronary artery originated almost at a right angle from the left anterior descending artery. The entire heart as well as the cardiac conduction system depended exclusively on the single coronary artery for oxygenated blood supply, and the unbalanced blood distribution on his exertion probably led to sudden cardiac death. Moreover, in this case, both the deceaseds mother (at the age of 20 years) and grandmother on the mothers side died suddenly, thus suggesting a possibility of maternal transmission of this congenital anomaly in his family.

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION BASED ON THE POINT MUTATIONS OF HISTO-BLOOD GROUP ABO GENES BY PCR-RFLP AND DIRECT SEQUENCING

Abstract Using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and direct sequencing methods, 181 bp DNA fragments at the ABO blood group locus of human and eight different primates were examined. Through PCR amplification and digestion of the product with Hha-1 restriction enzyme, each of the amplified fragments of human, chimpanzee and green monkey was cut into two fragments of 147 and 34 bp, and the corresponding fragment of the other primates was digested into three fragments of 115, 34 and 32 bp. The 181 bp fragments of chimpanzee and green monkey were digested with Mva-1 into three fragments of 82, 58 and 41 bp, and 69, 58 and 54 bp, while the fragments of human and the other primates were separated into two fragments of 123 and 58 bp. Thus, using Hha-1 and Mva-1, human PCR-amplified product of a part of the ABO gene could be discriminated from those of the other primates examined. In addition, by direct sequencing of the 181 bp DNA fragment, two Mva-1 recognition sites and one Hha-1 recognition site were found in the fragments of chimpanzee and green monkey, one Mva-1 site and one Hha-1 site were detected in humans, and one Mva-1 site and two Hha-1 sites in the other primates. These results corresponded well with the data of PCR-RFLP. This method has a good potential for species identification at the DNA level.