Using real-time ultrasound, a study was undertaken to evaluate the morphology of normal uterus in the neonate delivered at term. The uterus was visualized in 41 (89.1%) of the 46 neonates. The cervical volume (CE-V) was 3.65 +/- 1.36 cm3, the corporeal volume (CO-V) 1.18 +/- 0.42 cm3, and the CE-V was significantly larger than the CO-V (p less than 0.001). The uterine volume (U-V) was 4.83 +/- 1.57 cm3, and U-V showed a good correlation with birth weight (r = 0.42, p less than 0.01). The endometrial echo was constantly depicted as a mixed echo of a highly echogenic line and/or a myometrial halo. These normal values and the morphology of the neonatal uterus provide useful information for distinguishing a possible pathologic pelvic mass and screening of congenital genital disorders.

Using the optogenetic photo-manipulation of photoactivatable (PA)-Rac1, remarkable cell surface ruffling and the formation of a macropinocytic cup (premacropinosome) could be induced in the region of RAW264 macrophages irradiated with blue light due to the activation of PA-Rac1. However, the completion of macropinosome formation did not occur until Rac1 was deactivated by the removal of the light stimulus. Following PA-Rac1 deactivation, some premacropinosomes closed into intracellular macropinosomes, whereas many others transformed into long Rab10-positive tubules without forming typical macropinosomes. These Rab10-positive tubules moved centripetally towards the perinuclear Golgi region along microtubules. Surprisingly, these Rab10-positive tubules did not contain any endosome/lysosome compartment markers, such as Rab5, Rab7, or LAMP1, suggesting that the Rab10-positive tubules were not part of the degradation pathway for lysosomes. These Rab10-positive tubules were distinct from recycling endosomal compartments, which are labeled with Rab4, Rab11, or SNX1. These findings suggested that these Rab10-positive tubules may be a part of non-degradative endocytic pathway that has never been known. The formation of Rab10-positive tubules from premacropinosomes was also observed in control and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated macrophages, although their frequencies were low. Interestingly, the formation of Rab10-positive premacropinosomes and tubules was not inhibited by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors, while the classical macropinosome formation requires PI3K activity. Thus, this study provides evidence to support the existence of Rab10-positive tubules as a novel endocytic pathway that diverges from canonical macropinocytosis.

It has been postulated that catecholamine metabolism may be altered in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome. T o search for possible correlations between catecholamine metabolism and hormonal disturbances, we have studied the serum LH, LH: FSH ratio, testosterone, and plasma catecholamine metabolites in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and in control subjects with normal ovulatory cycles. The metabolites studied were 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) as markers of adrenergic activity and dopaminergic activity, respectively. The polycystic ovary was divided into 2 patterns [general cystic pattern (GCP) and peripheral cystic pattern (PCP)] as determined by ultrasound. The results were as follows: 1) Serum LH, LH:FSH ratios, and plasma MHPG levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome were significantly higher than in the controls.2) In cases of polycystic ovary syndrome, serum LH, LH:FSH ratios, and testosterone showed no significant correlations with catecholamine metabolites. 3) Using the ultrasonographical classification, we found that plasma MHPG levels of the GCP group were significantly higher compared with the PCP group in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Thus, catecholamine metabolism is altered in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, and ultrasonography revealed different patterns of catecholamine metabolism.

To assess the usefulness of transvaginal ultrasound scanning (TVS) for screening in polycystic ovarian (PCO) disease, we symptomatically and endocrinologically compared 9 cases (group A) with PCO noted by transabdominal ultrasound scanning (TAS) with 8 cases (group B) with PCO noted by TVS only. No difference in the mean value of LH/FSH ratio, E₁/E₂ ratio and testosterone was observed between the two groups. However, the frequency of endocrine abnormalities, menstrual disorders and hypertrichosis in group A was significantly more than in group B. Therefore, we suggest that the stage of PCO noted by TAS is more progressive than that noted by TVS only and TVS is useful for screening of PCO disease.

Rab35, a member of the Rab GTPase family, has been implicated in various cellular processes including cell motility and membrane trafficking. Although Rab35 is localized to the plasma membrane, Rab proteins that are identified to have high sequence homology with Rab35 exhibit distinct subcellular localization patterns. Comparing the amino acid sequences between Rab35 and its family members revealed a significant variation in an approximate 30-amino acid region of the C-terminus. This suggests that this region determines the subcellular localization of individual Rab proteins. To confirm this hypothesis, we constructed Rab35–Rab10 chimera proteins by exchanging their C-terminal domains with one another. Confocal microscopy of RAW264 cells expressing EGFP-fused Rab35–Rab10 chimeras has indicated that the C-terminal region of Rab35 is critical for its plasma membrane localization. Furthermore, we were able to determine that a basic amino acid cluster exists in the C-terminal region of Rab35 and that Rab35 localization shifts to the Golgi membrane when the number of basic amino acids in this region is reduced. Thus, it is likely that the approximate 30-amino acid C-terminal region containing basic clusters is responsible for Rab35 plasma membrane localization and that its preferential localization depends on the number of basic amino acids.