Exposure of Mongolian gerbils to a 100% oxygen atmosphere after 15 minutes of global brain ischemia resulted in a marked increase in the production of pentane, an in vivo product of lipid peroxidation. Much less pentane production occurred in animals subjected to global brain ischemia then exposed to an air atmosphere and in animals exposed to a 100% oxygen atmosphere without ischemia. Gerbils placed in 100% oxygen for 3-6 hours after 15 minutes of ischemia also had a threefold increase in 14-day mortality compared with gerbils subjected to ischemia and then placed in an air atmosphere. These findings raise a serious question about the use of oxygen-enriched atmospheres during reperfusion following ischemia. (Stroke 1987;18:426-430)

Six products were isolated by reverse phase HPLC from the reaction of thymidine with osmium tetroxide. Four of the products were identified as stereoisomers of 5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-thymidine (TG). The absolute configurations of these four compounds (from the shortest to the longest HPLC retention times) were determined by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to be (-)-trans-5S,6S-, (+)-trans-5R,6R-, (-)-cis-5R,6S-, and (+)-cis-5S,6R-5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-thymidine. The other two products were dimers with unknown linking sites. Parameters of the mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra are reported and discussed.

Galectin-3, a lectin-family protein that appears to be involved in malignant transformation, has been reported to be an accurate immunohistochemical marker for thyroid cancer. However, immunohistochemistry is a subjective method that can be difficult to apply to cytologic specimens. Therefore, we sought to develop an objective and quantitative assay to measure galectin-3 mRNA in thyroid tissue to enhance potential clinical use of galectin-3 in the molecular analysis of thyroid nodules. In this study, total RNA from 37 snap-frozen thyroid tissue specimens was isolated from eight papillary and nine follicular thyroid cancers, six follicular adenomas, seven adenomatoid nodules, and seven normal thyroid lobes from patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Normalized levels of galectin-3 mRNA, expressed as picograms per nanogram GAPDH mRNA, were higher in papillary carcinomas (3327 pg/ng) and follicular adenomas (1314 pg/ng) than in thyroid normal tissue (426 pg/ng; P = 0.0012 and 0.032, respectively). Galectin-3 mRNA levels were also higher in papillary cancers than in adenomatoid nodules (P = 0.0012). However, galectin-3 mRNA levels were not statistically greater in follicular carcinomas than either normal tissue or follicular adenomas (P = 0.068 and 0.12, respectively). In summary, in comparison to galectin-3 immunohistochemistry, quantitative measurement of galectin-3 mRNA appears useful in the identification of papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) but does not appear to be useful in distinguishing follicular carcinomas from follicular adenomas.

The mass spectra of several thioether conjugates of the widely used analgesic, acetaminophen (4'-hydroxyacetanilide), have been recorded under various ionization conditions. Conjugates were obtained from both in vitro and in vivo sources and purified by high performance liquid chromatography. Some standards were chemically synthesized. Of the thioethers examined, only the methylthio and mercapturic acid conjugates provided parent ions under electron impact conditions. In the chemical ionization mode, using isobutane as the reagent gas, the cysteinyl conjugate gave a pseudomolecular ion as well, although relatively large quantities (10-20 micrograms) of this amino acid adduct were required. Because of the highly polar nature and thermal instability of the cysteinyl and glutathionyl conjugates, these two thioethers were most successfully analyzed by field desorption techniques. Field desorption mass spectrometry was well suited for direct analysis of these two adducts where prominent [M]+, [MH]+ or [M + Na]+ ions were observed. Furthermore, by application of the field desorption/collision induced dissociation and linked (B/E) scan technique, structurally informative fragmentation patterns were generated. In addition, field desorption mass spectrometry was used successfully to characterize the glucuronide conjugate of acetaminophen but not the sulfate conjugate.

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