We measured the levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in sera from patients with bronchial asthma. sICAM-1 levels in sera from atopic asthmatic patients in stable conditions were higher than in normal control subjects. Furthermore, the sICAM-1 levels in sera obtained during bronchial asthma attacks were higher than those in sera obtained in stable conditions. These results suggest that higher levels of sICAM-1 in sera reflect the upregulation of ICAM-1 expression in allergic inflammation.

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Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is widely used as an antimicrobial irrigant; however, it has cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects. For these reasons, development of new, safe irrigants other than NaOCl is long overdue. In the present study, the antimicrobial and noxious effects of acid-electrolyzed functional water (FW) were evaluated and compared with those of NaOCl. Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, or Candida albicans were mixed with each tested solution for 30 s. The mixtures were then plated on brain-heart infusion agar plates, after which colony numbers were counted. Serially diluted acid FW was used to determine the actual chloride concentration (ACC) required for a bactericidal effect. Noxious effects were evaluated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase released from HeLa cells. Acid FW and NaOCl had similar bactericidal effects against all bacterial species but not against C. albicans. An ACC of at least 10 ppm was required in order to ensure effective bacteriocidal activity and induce significant lactate dehydrogenase release. Acid FW-treated HeLa cells exhibited healthy growth, with slight retardation as compared with non-treated cells. Because of its efficient bactericidal, and less noxious, effects on human cells, acid FW may be a useful irrigant for effective root canal treatment.

SUMMARYHuman polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) was expressed in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells using a recombinant vaccinia virus transfection system. Cleavage of pIgR on the cell surface was partially inhibited by the proteinase inhibitor, leupeptin. We addressed the question whether some particular regions of pIgR could affect the efficient cleavage of this molecule, with the following results: (1) a mutant lacking the entire cytoplasmic region resulted in release of secretory component (SC) into the culture supernatant much faster than wild-type; (2) a pIgR mutant lacking the entire extracellular domain 6, the region containing the susceptible cleavage sites, could be cleaved and released as a mutant SC. The transport kinetics of this mutant between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi or Golgi and the cell surface was equivalent to wild-type pIgR. Our results indicate that although the main cleavage site is in domain 6, at least one other cleavage site may exist.

The tissue distribution of mouse polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) has been demonstrated. By Northern blot hybridization, pIgR mRNA expression was detected in liver, intestine, stomach, lung and kidney. A weak expression was also detected in thymus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The pIgR expression in kidney was further studied and confirmed that pIgR protein was actively synthesized in the epithelial cells of distal urinary tubule and of Henle's loop. Immunoelectron microscopical analysis showed the accumulation of pIgR-containing vesicles in the apical portion of distal urinary tubule epithelial cells.