Recognition of familiar individuals by touch.

I have examined whether adults can recognize their boyfriends/husbands or girlfriends/wives by stroking either their partner's hand or face. On both trials, subjects were asked to chose their mate from amongst two unfamiliar age- and gender-matched adult foils. During testing, the subject's eyes and nose were covered and auditory cues were masked by ambient noise. The results show that a significant proportion of the total sample succeeded on one or both of the touch-recognition tasks. However, while both women and men were successful at the face-touch-recognition task, only the women were successful at the hand-recognition task. I conclude that tactile cues afforded by stroking skin are sufficiently salient to allow for individual recognition. As for the gender-related difference, women may have an advantage at hand recognition because men's hands are more discriminable than women's hands.


The mechanism and significance of pentagastrin-stimulated water intake in the pig.

The role of gastric secretion in drinking was investigated. Treatment of pigs with cimetidine (300 mg IV), which inhibits gastric secretion, did not change the level of feed or water intake, or alter the temporal relationship between eating and drinking. Gastric infusions of 0.15 M HCl (5 ml.kg-1.h-1) did not increase drinking. Pentagastrin infusion (0.05 microgram.kg-1.min-1) increased water intake in some, but not all pigs during a 1-hour infusion. Plasma protein levels increased significantly during 1-hour pentagastrin infusions (0.05 microgram.kg-1.min-1), indicating an estimated fall in blood volume of 2.5%. Captopril (1.75 mg/kg IV), which blocks the renin-angiotensin system, abolished pentagastrin-stimulated drinking. It was concluded that gastric secretion does not play a direct role in normal, periprandial drinking but that in pigs the renin-angiotensin system is involved in pentagastrin-stimulated drinking.


Moderate exercise in young female S5B/P1 rats does not reduce body fat.

Weanling S5B/P1 female rats were divided into four groups as follows: high fat diet, exercised (FE); high fat diet, unexercised (FU); high carbohydrate diet, exercised (CE); and high carbohydrate diet, unexercised (CU). After 25 days of progressive training, exercised rats ran on a motor-driven treadmill for 30 days at 25 m/min per 1 h at 0 degree grade for 6 days a week. Rats were weighed weekly throughout the experiment and food intakes were recorded for the last 3 weeks of the experiment. After euthanasia at 15 weeks of age, three muscles, liver, heart, kidney, 3 fat depots, and tibia-fibula were dissected out and weighted. The carcass, including weighted organs and fat depots, was analyzed for body fat. Exercised rats, regardless of diet, weighed slightly but significantly more than unexercised rats. They also tended to eat more food and to have a higher quantity of fat-free body mass than unexercised rats. Percent body fat was similar for exercised and unexercised rats. The tibia weighed significantly more (p less than 0.05) in CU than in FU rats but the weight was similar in CE and FE rats. The density of the tibia was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in exercised than in unexercised rats.


Effect of chronic stress and exogenous glucocorticoids on regional fat distribution and metabolism.

It has been proposed that increased glucocorticoid hormones and decreased sex hormones affect regional fat metabolism and distribution. In the present work, it was hypothesized that chronic, uncontrollable stress, known to affect the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-gonadal axes might, therefore, lead to differences in regional fat accumulation. In comparison with controls, male Sprague-Dawley rats stressed for 28 days, had significantly larger adipocytes. In addition, a tendency for a heavier fat pad and an increased lipoprotein lipase activity in the mesenteric depot was suggested. No significant changes were seen in epididymal, retroperitoneal, and inguinal regions. In order to study if the effects observed could be attributed to increased glucocorticoids, the response to a direct administration of supraphysiological doses of corticosterone, given either in the drinking water or via subcutaneous implantation of corticosterone pellets, was studied. Increased fat accumulation was shown in all fat depots in a dose-response fashion, but was significantly more pronounced in the mesenteric region. It was concluded that mesenteric fat tissue may respond to stress in a different manner from other fat depots. Glucocorticoids seem to be partly, but not solely, responsible for the changes observed in adipose tissue metabolism and distribution following exposure to uncontrollable stress.


The comparative effects of abrupt vs. stepwise discontinuation of TPN in rats.

The comparative effects of discontinuing total parenteral nutrition (TPN: caloric ratio of glucose:fat:amino acid = 50:30:20) abruptly or in a stepwise manner on spontaneous food intake were investigated in two studies. Study 1: In 16 rats, TPN was given for 4 days, then stopped abruptly in eight rats. In the other eight rats, TPN was tapered; they received TPN at 75%, 50%, and 25% of their mean daily energy requirements per day for 3 consecutive days, and then switched to normal saline. Total parenteral nutrition induced a significant 60% reduction in spontaneous food intake (SFI) in both groups during the first TPN day. After 4 days of TPN, an 80% decrease in SFI had occurred in both groups. Resumption of SFI was significantly sooner in the abruptly-stopping group than in the stepwise-stopping group. But, in the latter group, there was a significantly greater cumulative caloric intake during the entire study. Study 2: In 32 rats, TPN providing either 100%, 50%, or 25% of their mean daily caloric requirements was given to three groups each of eight rats, for 3 days, then abruptly changed to normal saline; control rats received normal saline throughout. The TPN-induced decrease in SFI was proportional to the caloric density of the solution infused. Three days of 100%, 50%, or 25% TPN infusion led to an approximate 85%, 60%, or 35% decrease in SFI, respectively. Spontaneous food intake recovery was independent of the caloric density of TPN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Dynamics of oral intake resumption after general anesthesia and operation in rats.

The influence of general anesthesia and operation on dynamics of postoperative food intake resumption was investigated in eight rats. A laparotomy was performed on each rat under anesthesia induced by intraperitoneally injected chloral hydrate. Spontaneous food intake and feeding indexes were continuously measured using an Automated Computerized Rat Eater Meter (ACREM) before and after operation. Although spontaneous food intake and all feeding indexes were depressed immediately following anesthesia and operation, each feeding index was depressed to a greater degree during the dark vs. the light cycle. Initially, rats fully capable of eating ate fewer, smaller, and shorter meals. The return to normal of each feeding index differed temporally. Thus, although meal number normalized by the third postoperative day, meal size by the sixth postoperative day, and meal duration by the fourth postoperative day, normalization of meal number during the light cycle occurred sooner than during the dark cycle, while the converse occurred with meal size and meal duration.


Social modulation of behavioral reproductive senescence in female rats.

During aging, the lordosis reflex of female rats changes from a state of cyclic lordosis, when the lordosis reflex can be elicited by manual palpation only on proestrus, to a state of constant lordosis (CL), when it can be elicited daily. Social signals from other females altered this pattern of behavioral senescence. Group living decreased the lordosis reflex intensity in both old and young rats and delayed the onset of CL. Long-term group living delayed CL until late in the life span, while temporary group living delayed it only until rats returned to isolation. Long-term group living also changed the temporal relationship between CL and the acyclic, anovulatory state of estrus. Finally, the lordosis reflex intensity, measured by manual palpation, predicted the old rats' receptivity to a male, indicating that constant lordosis is a biomarker for other aspects of behavioral reproductive senescence.


Sleep deficits in rats after NMDA receptor blockade.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade disrupts a variety of functions associated with neural plasticity, including acquisition of learned responses and long-term potentiation. Deficits in memory are significantly correlated with deficits in measures of paradoxical sleep in several amnesic populations. The present experiment therefore assessed whether NPC 12626, a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, also disrupts sleep. NPC 12626 (1, 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg) or saline was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats 30 min prior to 3-h daytime recording periods. Paradoxical sleep was selectively impaired at all but the highest dose, which prevented all sleep during the recording period. Some deficits in nonparadoxical sleep first appeared at the 10 mg/kg dose but did not became prominent until the 50 mg/kg dose. The results thus show that NPC 12626 impairs sleep states in rats and demonstrate that paradoxical sleep is particularly susceptible to the effects of NMDA receptor blockade. These findings, along with previous evidence that NMDA antagonists impair waking measures of arousal, provide evidence that all sleep-wake states are impaired by NMDA receptor blockade. More generally, the results suggest that some brain mechanisms underlying sleep and memory may share common elements.


Estrogen in peripheral plasma during postnatal development in gray short-tailed opossums.

Plasma samples obtained from gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) at selected ages through adulthood were assayed for estrogen (E). Levels of E in one mixed-sex plasma pool of animals aged postnatal day (pd) 4 and one of two mixed-sex plasma pools of animals aged pd 8 were over 300 pg/ml. On pd 16, E levels in males and females averaged 30 and 47 pg/ml, respectively. While no significant sex differences in E levels were seen on pd 30 or pd 60, mean E levels for animals on pd 30 were significantly higher (275 pg/ml in males and 181 pg/ml in females) than on pd 60 (78 pg/ml in males and 85 pg/ml in females) or pd 145 (adults). In adult animals, estrogen levels in females averaged 54 pg/ml; all adult male E levels were below the limit of sensitivity of the assay. Maternal E levels, which did not vary significantly by age of litter, averaged 10 pg/ml overall. These findings are discussed with respect to possible significance of high E levels in developing marsupials for sexual differentiation and general brain development.


Assessing odor generalization in the rat: a sensitive technique.

In investigating the ability of the rat to discriminate among urine odors from mice of different genetic strains, we developed a technique for determining the extent of odor generalization. Trained rats performed a discrete trial, go/no-go procedure, touching a bar in the presence of an S+ odor for water reward. Rats easily learned this task and restricted their responding to trials with the S+ stimulus, even though there was no penalty for responding to S-. However, when presented with test stimuli that might be more similar to S+ or S-, some rats responded only to the S+, and not at all to S- or any generalization stimuli. We then created series of stimuli composed of different levels of adulteration of the S+ stimulus with generalization stimuli. With these stimuli, rats produced graded levels of responding, allowing comparisons of similarity among odorant stimuli. This technique can be applied to other types of odorant stimuli, particularly biological compounds of unknown concentration or purity, and should be of use in an operant laboratory studying odorant perception, or odorant characteristics.


Pineal melatonin and locomotor activity of rats under gradual illuminance transitions.

The locomotor activity and pineal melatonin patterns of adult male rats were compared under two different lighting regimes. The animals were kept 8 days under 12/12 h light/dark cycles with abrupt or slowly decreasing and increasing transitions (twilight periods about 2 h). The onsets of high activity and melatonin rise were phase-locked in the two conditions and related to about half-maximal illuminance level of the gradual dusk. The high activity of the control rats stopped 30-60 min before the abrupt light onset and the rats under the gradual lighting transitions ceased the locomotor activity at about 1 hour before the half-maximal illuminance. The melatonin peak levels were found 4 h before the abrupt lights-on time. Under the slow illuminance transitions the average melatonin peak was related to the illuminance level between maximum and minimum in the morning. Thus, both the melatonin rhythm and the rest-activity rhythm under the gradual dawn and dusk were adjusted according to about half-maximal illuminances in the present conditions.


Testosterone as appetitive and discriminative stimulus in rats: sex- and dose-dependent effects.

Stimulus properties of subcutaneously injected testosterone were studied in male and female rats. In a conditioned place preference procedure, dose-dependent effects (doses: 0, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg) were observed in males. In females, no place preference could be established (doses: 0, 1, and 3 mg/kg). In addition, 1 mg/kg testosterone acquired discriminative stimulus control in male rats in a taste aversion procedure. Animals injected with this hormone prior to saccharin-LiCl pairings and with its vehicle prior to saccharin-NaCl pairings suppressed fluid intake following the administration of testosterone and not following the administration of the vehicle. Subsequent generalization tests revealed dose-dependent stimulus control of this hormone (range of substitution doses: 0.125-2 mg/kg). It is concluded from the results that at least pharmacological (supraphysiological) doses of testosterone may act as appetitive stimuli in male rats, but not in female rats. Furthermore, in male rats (pharmacological doses of) testosterone also possess discriminative stimulus properties.


Olfactory bulb removal affects partner preference development and estrus induction in female prairie voles.

In female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) bilateral olfactory bulbectomy reduced affiliative behavior, as measured by social contact, and prevented the formation of partner preferences. Unilateral olfactory bulb removal did not significantly influence affiliative behavior, but did inhibit partner preferences. Bilateral, but not unilateral, bulbectomy significantly reduced the proportion of females exhibiting behavioral estrus following male exposure. In contrast to affiliative and sexual behavior, parental behavior was not significantly affected by either bilateral or unilateral olfactory bulbectomy. These results suggest that divergent sensory-neural pathways underlie social, sexual, and parental behaviors in this species.


Abstinence from smoking decreases habituation to food cues.

Smokers typically gain weight after cessation due, in part, to increased caloric intake. This increase may be due to enhanced responding to sensory characteristics of foods resulting from a failure to habituate to food cues. To test this possibility, salivation to eight presentations of strawberry yogurt was assessed in male smokers and nonsmokers in two sessions. To test stimulus specificity, on the ninth trial, subjects were presented either more strawberry yogurt or lemon yogurt. Smokers were studied under nonabstinent or abstinent conditions. Salivation for nonabstinent smokers and nonsmokers decreased over presentations, while abstinent smokers showed little change. Nonabstinent smokers and nonsmokers recovered salivation when the new flavor yogurt was presented, and showed greater consumption on the final trial for the different versus same flavor yogurt. Nonabstinent smokers participated in additional within-session smoking sessions to control for withdrawal. Nonabstinent subjects were not different across smoking or not smoking sessions, suggesting the effects are not due to the acute effects of withdrawal.


Natriuresis after a water load in humans under different sodium body content.

The present study was aimed at observing the diuretic and natriuretic responses after a water load (2% body weight) in four groups of young consenting volunteers submitted previously, during three days, to a hypersodic (500 mEq Na/day), hyposodic (35 mEq Na/day), and normosodic (200 mEq Na/day) diet, or treated with furosemide (Lasix, 40 mg/day). During the treatment urine was collected each day. On the fourth day, in the morning, the bladder was emptied, the water load was ingested, and the urine collected during 10 periods of 20 min each. The urinary, sodium, and chloride flows were determined. The four groups displayed diuretic curves following a similar pattern. In contrast, the natriuretic curves of the four groups were completely different; totally flat with low values for the furosemide group and a large initial natriuretic curve for the hypersodic group with a gradual decrease but maintaining high values. The results indicate that the way the organism compensates for the excess of water by means of urinary water loss is independent of the body sodium content, whereas the way in which sodium loss is accomplished is determined by its body content and is independent of the way in which the water is lost.


Ultrasonic vocalization of laboratory rats in response to handling and touch.

The goal of the study was to investigate the ultrasonic vocalization induced in freely behaving, naive rats by gentle touch with a human hand. Thirty-nine rats were tested in an unfamiliar experimental cage with repeatable hand touch. Vocalization appeared with an average latency of 4.6 +/- 5.0 s (SD). The nape of the neck was the most effective area, and after a couple of stimuli applied, 66.7% of rats emitted 21-32 kHz ultrasonic vocalization. It consisted of multiple series of long calls, about 70% of which exceeded 300 ms. The responses quickly habituated from session to session to extinction. Significantly more rats housed in single cages vocalized ultrasonically than animals housed in community cages. The long latencies of the vocalization, their appearance in multiple series to a single touch, and quick habituation to the stimuli indicate that 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalization of rats reflects a distress caused by a potential danger to the animal and it does not necessarily reflect physical discomfort or pain. This vocalization may, therefore, play an adaptive role in increasing chances of survival by conveying information about potential threats to other conspecifics.


An automated method for recording scent marking in Mongolian gerbils.

A device for the automated recording of scent-marking events in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) is described. The method uses minute temperature changes occurring at the surface of marked objects to detect scent marking. These events are recorded by a computer together with the exact time and the location of the marked object. The data obtained with this temperature-sensitive recording method correlate well with data obtained in parallel by human observers. The measurement of the diurnal rhythm of scent-marking behavior for 5 consecutive days in an undisturbed male demonstrates the specific usefulness of this new recording method. In addition, this temperature-sensitive automated recording of scent-marking behavior may also be applicable in other animals that primarily mark protruding objects.


Ibotenic acid lesion of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus produces weight gain but modifies neither preference nor aversion for saccharin.

We showed recently that bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) produced three main behavioral disturbances in the rat, i.e., an increase in the gustatory preference and aversion thresholds for saccharin, permanent body weight and water intake deficits, and an alteration of morphine-induced modulation of taste. The two first results could suggest that the modification of the gustatory thresholds and the ingestive deficits are closely interrelated. Given this situation, we hypothesized that, conversely, a brain lesion known to induce obesity and hyperdipsia would therefore decrease the gustatory preference and aversion thresholds for saccharin. In order to test this hypothesis we analyzed the effects of the bilateral lesion of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH) by injection of ibotenic acid (2 micrograms in each side) on saccharin preference. The main results are as follows: 1) The neurotoxin selectively destroyed parvicellular neurons while the magnocellular cells were spared. 2) In comparison to the normal daily gain in body weight of the sham-lesioned animals, the lesioned rats showed an enhanced weight gain that became significant from the third day after the surgery up until the day of sacrifice, 37 days later. 3) In contrast to electrolytic lesions of the PVH, the ibotenic acid lesions of this nucleus did not induce hyperdipsia. 4) Preference and aversion thresholds for saccharin were not significantly modified by the lesion. 5) Whereas low doses of morphine suppressed the preference for saccharin in sham-lesioned rats when the concentration of the sweetener solution was at the threshold value, this suppressive effect was not observed in PVH-lesioned rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Sympathoadrenal function in genetically obese Zucker rats.

The effects of genetic obesity on the actions and alterations of the sympathetic nervous system were studied in 10-12-month-old obese (fa/fa) and lean (Fa/-) Zucker rats. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and free fatty acids (FFA) concentrations were measured in blood samples taken through a permanent heart catheter before, during, and after exercise or intravenous infusion of E and NE. Baseline plasma FFA and insulin levels were markedly increased in the obese animals. Exercise, i.e., strenuous swimming against a counter current for 15 min, led to reduction of plasma insulin concentrations and an increase of all other blood components in lean Zucker rats. In obese animals, an exaggerated increase of blood glucose and a large suppression of plasma insulin occurred. Plasma FFA levels tended to decline during exercise. Plasma catecholamine patterns in the exercising fatty Zuckers were not different to those of the lean animals. Infusion of E caused an increase of blood glucose and a decrease of plasma insulin concentrations in both groups of animals. The increase in blood glucose in the obese animals was significantly larger compared to the changes in the lean animals. Infusion of NE significantly reduced plasma insulin concentration in obese but not in lean animals. The results revealed that activation of the sympathetic system, expressed as exercise-induced alterations in plasma E and NE levels, is normal in obese Zucker rats. However, postsynaptic receptor effects of catecholamines on glycogenolysis and lipolysis are different in obese and lean animals, which points to permanent changes in adrenoceptor mechanisms on adipocytes, hepatocytes, and muscle cells in obesity.


Altered sensitivity to NMDA following developmental lead exposure in rats.

Early Pb exposure is known to disrupt the development of the hippocampus and result in deficits in learning and memory capacities and altered seizure susceptibility. The excitatory amino acid, NMDA, is found in high concentrations in the hippocampus and has been implicated in learning and memory functions and seizure activity. Rat pups nursed mothers exposed to high (4%), moderate (0.4%), or low (0.05%) levels of PbCO3 in their diet, or a Na2CO3 control diet from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P25. Rat pups were injected with varying doses of NMDA on P15 or P25. Control animals showed a characteristic slowly developing response to NMDA, usually including tail twitches and wet dog shakes at approximately 10 and 40 mg/kg at P15 and P25, respectively, with status epilepticus and death occurring at 40 and 80 mg/kg. Lead-exposed animals displayed an altered sensitivity to NMDA, with high and medium Pb animals showing the onset of behavioral signs and death at lower NMDA doses, the degree of which being dependent on the level of Pb exposure. Low Pb-exposed animals showed a more variable and attenuated response to NMDA. The data are discussed in terms of the possible mechanisms of Pb neurotoxicity.


Maternal behavior induced in male rats by bilateral lesions of the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract.

In the present study, we investigate the effect of bilateral electrolytic lesions of the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract (BAOT) in male Wistar rats that did not have care-pups experience, using a test of induced maternal behavior. Consistent with our previous findings in virgin female rats (10), there was a significantly shorter sensitization (3 days) and retrieval (2 days) latencies in the BAOT-lesioned group than in the sham-lesioned and intact-control male groups (12 days for both). Based on these findings, we propose that BAOT, a sexually dimorphic nucleus of the vomeronasal system, exerts an inhibitory modulation in the expression of parental behavior in male and female virgin rats. It may do so by maintaining an olfactory-based tonic inhibition of maternal behavior, thereby resulting in the adults' tonic avoidance of the pups until this inhibition is abolished by lesion, or reduced or overridden by appropriate hormonal and/or sensory influences.


Glucose utilization and insulin binding in discrete brain areas of obese rats.

The present study was carried out to determine whether genetically obese Zucker rats present changes in brain glucose utilization and/or insulin binding when compared to their lean counterparts. Glucose utilization in the whole brain, determined by measurement of 2-deoxy(1-3H)glucose-6-phosphate, was significantly lower in obese than in lean Zucker rats. In order to precise the structure involved, we then used quantitative autoradiography methods after either (1-14C) 2-deoxyglucose injection or 125I-insulin incubation. In obese rats, local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was significantly decreased in the external plexiform layer (-37%, p < 0.05), in the lateral hypothalamus (-23%, p < 0.05), and in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (-30%, p < 0.05). In contrast, no difference in specific insulin binding was found between the two genotypes in any of the areas studied. These results are consistent with some data showing a decrease of LCGU in hyperinsulinemic rats. All together, these data show perturbations of glucose utilization, particularly in structures linked to the regulation of body weight and food intake in obese Zucker rats.


Metabolic mechanisms involved in the impaired insulin secretion in pancreatic islets isolated from exercised and fasted rats.

This study examined the metabolic mechanisms involved in the impaired insulin secretion by pancreatic islets isolated from fasted and exercised rats. Insulin secretion to glucose (8.3 to 16.7 mM) stimulus was lower in fasted (F), exercised (E), and fasted plus exercised (EF) rats as compared with the control group. The rate of glucose oxidation by isolated islets was reduced in F and EF rats, but it was not modified in the E group. In response to alpha-KIC (5, 10, 15, and 20 mM), insulin secretion was not different in EF and F rats, in comparison to controls, except in the E group, which showed values slightly higher. These findings suggest that changes in insulin secretion in fasted rats, associated or not to exercise training, might be a consequence of a reduced activity of the right-hand side of the Krebs cycle (from pyruvate to oxoglutarate), leading to decreased glucose oxidation. However, the exercise itself caused a significant decrease of insulin secretion without altering glycolysis and Krebs cycle activities.


Cohabitation with a sterile male facilitates the development of retrieval behavior in nulliparous female rats exposed to pups.

Female rats were housed with a sterile male or another female. After 3 weeks, half of the females that had been housed with a female were rehoused with an intact male. At the end of 6 weeks female or sterile male cagemates were removed. Intact male cagemates and pups were removed 3 to 12 h following parturition. All females were tested for retrieval of three unfamiliar pups placed in their cage on the day following removal of their cagemate. Three unfamiliar pups were placed with each female and the female's behavior observed for 10 min. Observations were made in this way for 13 days or until the female retrieved all three pups within the 10-min interval. Pups were left with the female on days they were not retrieved. Females housed with a sterile male reached criterion for pup retrieval in 2.9 days, significantly fewer days than were required for females housed with another female (6.6 days) but significantly more than were required for a postpartum female (0.8 days). By demonstrating that cohabitation with a male fosters the development of retrieval, these results support evidence from the study of aggressive behavior that pseudopregnancy facilitates the development of behaviors associated with pregnancy and lactation.


Mineral balance and bone histology in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

SHRs (9 weeks old) were fed diets with or without extra NaCl (2%) and were given water or saline (1%) for 7 weeks. Food and liquid intakes were measured weekly. Blood pressure was determined at 9, 11, 13, 15, and 16 weeks of age. The values for body weight gain and food intake were not influenced by any treatment. Liquid intake greatly increased with the surplus of dietary NaCl. The blood pressure increased with age in all treatments. The increase in blood pressure was enhanced by the addition of NaCl to diet and water. Urinary potassium and calcium excretions were enhanced by added dietary NaCl and saline. Calcium content in the femoral bone was not changed by any treatment, although the number of osteoclast and the area of bone marrow were increased by saline supplementation.


Inhibition by N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist of lordosis behavior induced by estrogen followed by progesterone or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in the rat.

The effects of glutamate receptor antagonists on sexual receptivity induced by progesterone and LHRH were examined in ovariectomized, estradiol-primed rats (OVX-EB). Enhancement of lordosis/mounts quotient (L/M) by progesterone (0.5 mg) or LH-RH (150 ng; third ventricle, IVT) in OVX-EB rats was significantly decreased by IVT injection of (+) 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist. On the contrary, there were no changes in L/M quotient after IVT injection of 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3,dione at two dose levels, a Non-NMDA receptor antagonist. The NMDA antagonist did not modify lordosis behavior in OVX-EB rats. The results indicate that the NMDA type of glutamate receptors appears to mediate progesterone and LHRH facilitatory actions and suggest that glutamatergic synapses may be involved in lordosis-facilitating neural mechanisms.


Sexual pheromones in lipids and other fractions from urine of the male mole rat, Spalax ehrenbergi.

Spalax ehrenbergi mole rats are blind, solitary, territorial, aggressive, subterranean rodents with a yearly breeding season that peaks in December and January. We confirm here an earlier report that estrous females are attracted to substances present in the urine of homospecific as compared to heterospecific adult males. We have also found that nonestrous female mole rats show avoidance behavior to the same homospecific urine. Our objective was to ascertain the nature of the pheromone(s) and gain insight as to its possible role in reproductive isolation and speciation. An active principle, detected in either two- or three-choice behavior tests, was found to be extractable from urine by methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) and mainly found in the neutral lipid fraction. Total lipids were chromatographed by thin layer chromatography on silica gel G60 plates. Most of the activity was found in a zone bounded by Rfs 0.2 and 0.7. Cholesterol, other sterols, and ethyl esters of fatty acids chromatographed in this zone as determined by standards and staining. Ethyl esters of fatty acids were also detected in this fraction by GC/MS analysis. Although a large amount of activity was found in lipids, it only accounted for about 1% of that found in urine. Some activity may have been destroyed or lost during the extraction procedure and some may remain in a lipid insoluble form. Preliminary tests of lipid extracts of various portions of the male urogenital tract revealed pheromonal activity present, particularly in tissues associated with testes, epididymis, prostate, and bladder.


Social facilitation of eating: effects of social instruction on food intake.

To investigate whether social influences cause increases in eating behavior, thirty undergraduate psychology students completed a diet diary for three 5-day periods. Subjects were instructed to either eat alone or eat with other people, actively eating with them for two of these periods. For the third period, subjects were instructed to eat as they normally would (with or without other people present). When instructed to eat with others present, subjects overall consumed more food, water, sodium, and alcohol than when they were instructed to eat alone. In the normal condition, food intake was 60% higher when the subjects ate with others present than when they ate alone. These results suggest that social facilitation has a causal influence on eating which increases food intake.


The effects of olfactory bulbectomy and chronic psychosocial stress on serum glucocorticoids and sexual behavior in female rats.

The effects of olfactory bulb removal (OBX) and chronic psychosocial stress on serum glucocorticoids and sexual behavior were assessed in female rats primed with a subthreshold level of estradiol (E2). Ovariectomized females underwent either OBX or sham surgery. Half of the OBX and half of the sham animals were exposed to chronic psychosocial stress (crowding, strobe light, and intermittent noise) for one-half h per day for 27 days. On day 22, three blood samples were collected from each animal for serum corticosterone analysis; 1) before, 2) during, and 3) after acute stress (one-half h restraint). On day 28, females were exposed to either 4 or 24 h of E2. On day 29, all females received 500 micrograms progesterone (P) 4 h prior to sexual behavior testing. Sexual receptivity was measured using the lordosis quotient (LQ = [number of lordotic responses/10 mounts] x 100). Sexual proceptivity (dart and ear wiggling sequences) and rejection (number of nonlordotic responses to mount attempts) were measured throughout a 10-min test period. Results showed that chronic psychosocial stress dramatically increased sexual receptivity and proceptivity while decreasing sexual rejection in female rats primed with a subthreshold level of E2. Chronic psychosocial stress also elevated serum glucocorticoids and significantly exacerbated the glucocorticoid response to acute stress. OBX, while increasing sexual receptivity and decreasing sexual rejection, had no effect on serum glucocorticoids. These findings support the hypothesis that OBX potentiates female sexual behavior directly through an increase in neural sensitivity to E2. In contrast, the enhancing effect of chronic psychosocial stress on female sexual behavior may result from alterations of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system.


Dimethyl disulfide mimics the effects of milk on fetal behavior and responsiveness to cutaneous stimuli.

This study examined the behavioral responses of near-term rat fetuses to a range of chemosensory fluids that resemble constituents of milk or are present in the context of suckling immediately after birth. Milk and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), a constituent of pup saliva that promotes postnatal nipple attachment, were effective in altering fetal motor activity (increased mouthing and rearlimb movements after infusion), and producing changes in fetal responsiveness to perioral cutaneous stimulation (reduced incidence of facial wiping). The behavioral effects of DMDS were reversed by naloxone and the kappa receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine diHCl, suggesting kappa opioid involvement in these behavioral changes. The existence of prenatal responsiveness to DMDS suggests that this substance may function as a semiochemical during the neonatal period.


Response acquisition with fixed and variable resetting delays of reinforcement in male and female Wistar rats.

Experimentally naive, food-deprived male and female Wistar rats were exposed to different experimental procedures in which response-independent food pellets were delivered as long as the rats did not press either one of the two levers in the experimental chamber. Once a lever was pressed, the presentation of response-independent food was suspended for the remainder of that session and food pellets were delivered only after an unsignalled, resetting period of time from each lever press had elapsed. For five different groups of subjects there was either no delay between a lever press and food presentation, a fixed delay of 10 s or 30 s, or a variable delay of 10 s or 30 s. Response acquisition occurred most rapidly when a lever press was immediately followed by food presentation. Responding was also acquired when variable resetting delays of 10 s or 30 s or a fixed resetting delay of 10 s was inserted between a lever press and food presentation. When a fixed resetting delay of 30 s followed a lever press before food presentation some responding was observed, but not as much as in the other experimental conditions. The present results show that naive male and female Wistar rats will acquire a lever-press response when food presentation is contingent upon, but not immediately contiguous with a lever press. Consistent differences between the sexes were not observed.


Interaction of estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone in the modulation of hormone-dependent aggression in the female rat.

Female rats that had become aggressive as a result of cohabiting with a sterile male were ovariectomized and implanted with Silastic tubes of estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone, estradiol and testosterone alone, or with empty tubes. The implants were designed to model serum concentrations present during the last week of pregnancy (estradiol, 0.06 ng/ml; testosterone, 2.6 ng/ml; progesterone, 70 ng/ml). Following a test of aggression 1 week postoperatively, estradiol and testosterone implants were replaced with ones designed to maintain the lower hormone levels present following parturition (0.02 ng/ml; 0.6 ng/ml, respectively). Progesterone was not replaced. At the first aggression test, females with estradiol and testosterone alone displayed significantly more aggression than females with these hormones plus progesterone. Both groups were more aggressive than females without hormone replacement. Following the exchange of large implants for small ones, females that previously had progesterone increased in aggression while females that previously had only estradiol and testosterone decreased in aggression. Both groups continued to be more aggressive than the group without hormone replacement. High serum progesterone present near the end of pregnancy appears to moderate the expression of aggression supported by estradiol and testosterone. Conversely, progesterone's decline at parturition appears to produce a rebound facilitation of aggression even though serum estradiol and testosterone simultaneously decline.


Effects of chronic forced swimming and exposure to alarm substance: physiological and behavioral consequences.

Rats tested for 7 consecutive days in the forced swim test in fresh water were more immobile than those tested in soiled water on all days. Animals in both water conditions increased their immobility times slightly over days, but animals tested in soiled water, which presumably contained an alarm substance, never attained the immobility times of those tested in fresh water. When animals were switched between fresh and soiled water, they behaved exactly like animals in the water condition to which they were switched. Prior inescapable forced swimming in either water condition affected subsequent escape in a Morris water maze, but more so for animals tested only in fresh water. A second study corroborated the escape results. Serum corticosterone and relative adrenal weights were increased as a result of forced swimming but escape performance differences could not be attributed to differences in the stress-provoking consequences of the two water conditions.


Effects of repeated maternal separations on the adrenocortical response to stress of preweanling rats.

Previous data indicate that the infant rat shows a marked increase in adrenocortical responsiveness to stress immediately following prolonged maternal separation. In Experiment 1 we studied the immediate effects of repeated maternal deprivation. Our results indicate that the increase in basal as well as stress-induced corticosterone levels is a direct function of the length of the deprivation period immediately preceding testing, and is not cumulative. In Experiment 2 we examined the long-term consequences of maternal deprivation on adrenal responsivity. Four days following a single 24-h period of maternal deprivation, pups remained hyperresponsive to stress, although their basal levels of corticosterone had returned to control values. Shorter periods of deprivation (which did result in increased responsivity immediately following deprivation) did not have persistent effects. Our data suggest: 1) short periods of deprivation do not have a cumulative effect, and 2) there is a critical length of deprivation beyond which persistent changes in adrenocortical responsivity ensue.


Salt appetite induced by DOCA treatment or adrenalectomy in rats: analysis of ingestive behavior.

A detailed description of the increased intake of 0.5 M NaCl solution by rats after systemic treatment with desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) or after adrenalectomy was obtained by measuring feeding and drinking activity every 6 s for 23 h. In both models of salt appetite, the induced increase in saline intake occurred mostly at night and in close temporal association with bouts of eating and water drinking rather than in isolation. Consequently, there was no significant change in the total number of ingestive episodes, despite the substantial increase in the number of saline bouts. Saline drinking was in small draughts that usually were preceded by food bouts and followed promptly by water bouts. These and other observations indicate that under standard maintenance conditions of ad lib access to food and fluids, adrenalectomy and DOCA treatment each produce a relatively weak stimulus of salt appetite, and large daily intakes accrue because the animals do not remain satiated and the appetite recurs repeatedly.


Muscle performance and adenine-nucleotides status in MCA-sarcoma tumor-bearing rats.

The reduction in DNA, RNA, amino acid, and total protein in muscle tissue of tumor-bearing rats may influence muscle function. The effects of MCA-sarcoma tumor burden on muscle performance and adenine nucleotides was evaluated in three fiber types of skeletal muscle. Twenty-one days after MCA-sarcoma tumor inoculation, the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle group of Fischer 344 rats was stimulated using an in situ preparation; tetanic stimulation for 10 min at 7.5, 15, or 30 tetani per min (TPM) or 60 TPM for 5 min (n = 6 control and six tumor-bearing rats/group). ATP, ADP, AMP, IMP, phosphocreatine, and creatine content in white and red gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle was measured. There were no differences among controls and tumor-bearing rats in force output; however, ATP content in the soleus muscle of tumor-bearing rats was significantly reduced after 30 TPM for 10 min or 60 TPM for 5 min. The performance of skeletal muscle, over a wide range of stimulation frequency, in tumor-bearing rats does not appear to be influenced by changes in adenine nucleotide content.


Sexual dimorphism in the effects of mating on the in vitro release of LHRH from the ferret mediobasal hypothalamus.

A sexually dimorphic pattern in the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) has previously been shown to occur in response to mating in an induced ovulating species, the ferret, with mating augmenting the secretion of LH in females but not in males. The aim of this study was to determine whether this dimorphic pattern in the postcoital secretion of LH reflects a dimorphic effect of mating on the neural release of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH). The effect of mating on the in vitro release of LHRH from mediobasal hypothalami (MBH) collected from breeding male and female ferrets was studied. Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone release and content were significantly reduced in tissues from estrous females sacrificed 0.25 h after mating compared to unpaired estrous females and estrous females sacrificed 1 or 2.6 h after the mating stimulus. By contrast, the release of LHRH from MBH fragments and LHRH tissue content were equivalent in breeding males that were sacrificed 0.25 h after mating and in breeding males that were left unpaired. These data suggest that the postcoital surge of LH in the female ferret is preceded by a release of LHRH that initially depletes neuronal terminals within the MBH, whereas LHRH release, like pituitary LH secretion, is minimally affected by mating in males.


Feeding behavior in rats fed diets containing medium chain triglyceride.

The effect of dietary medium chain triglyceride (MCT) on short-term food intake was compared with the effect of long chain triglyceride (LCT) in rats. Corn oil and glyceryl tricaprylate were used as LCT and MCT sources, respectively. Rats were given diets containing 200 g MCT/kg diet (MCT diet), 100 g MCT + 100 g LCT/kg diet (ML diet), or 200 g LCT/kg diet (LCT diet) in Experiment 1. Cumulative food intake was determined every h for the first 12 h, then at 2-h intervals thereafter during the subsequent 12 h. As early as 1 h after feeding, cumulative food intake significantly decreased in MCT-fed animals in a dose-dependent fashion. In Experiment 2, rats were given a choice between MCT and LCT diets for 1 h to confirm whether or not the palatability of diets was influenced by dietary fat sources. There was no difference in food intake between the two diets. In Experiment 3, the responsibility of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) for the difference in food intake between the two diets was investigated for 6 h by using a CCK-A receptor antagonist, Devazepide (DVZ, 1 mg/kg b. wt.). Food intake in the MCT diet and also in the LCT diet was improved by DVZ. It is concluded that the satiety, but not the palatability, is affected by carbon chain length in dietary triglyceride sources, although the responsibility of endogenous CCK is very small.


Changes on plasmatic and erythrocytic magnesium levels after high-intensity exercises in men.

The aim of this paper was investigate the effects of high-intensity exercise on plasmatic and erythrocytic Mg levels in men. Twelve normal male volunteers participated in this study. The tests were performed on a cycle-ergometer (Monark). The exercise programs consisted of: 1) triangular progressive test (TPT); 2) interval endurance test (IET), of 45 min duration; and 3) maximal subtained test (MST), consisting of a maximal level, at 100% of MTP, for at least 7 min. The percent change in plasma volume (%PV) after exercise was calculated. Magnesium levels in plasma and erythrocytes were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No significant differences in the absolute Mg concentration of plasma were noted for the three maximal exercises. The percentage increase in plasma Mg concentrations was about 5-7%; however, percent decrease of PV was more important (13-16%). Erythrocytic Mg levels were increased after all maximal exercises (TPT, IET, and MST), although absolute Mg concentrations were not significantly different.


Analysis of walking locomotion in adult female rats undernourished as sucklings.

Suckling rats were undernourished from birth by underfeeding their mothers. They were refed from 3 weeks of age. Detailed analyses were made of the walking locomotion of previously undernourished and well-fed control female rats at 10 weeks, using electronic, computer, and TV techniques. Previously undernourished rats were found to deploy shorter stride times resulting in greater forward velocities. The shorter stride times were attained by reductions in stance time, while swing time was unaffected. No changes in stride length or width were observed, and the relationships between stride time and velocity, swing, or stance times were unaffected.


Decreased performance in a delayed alternation task by rats genetically deficient in vasopressin.

Acquisition and retention of a delayed alternation task by rats genetically deficient in vasopressin (AVP) due to the homozygous occurrence of the Brattleboro diabetes insipidus (DI) gene (M520/DI) were compared to the response of rats that were heterozygous (M520/HZ) or normal (M520/N) with respect to the DI gene. No significant difference in the adaptation to the apparatus was observed between the groups. However, the rate at which the M520/DI rats acquired the alternation task was significantly slower than the acquisition rates of M520/HZ and M520/N rats. In addition, the maximum intertrial interval reached by the M520/DI rats was significantly shorter than the intertrial intervals reached by the M520/HZ and M520/N rats, indicating the ability to retain information was impaired in the M520/DI rats. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that AVP modulates the acquisition and retention of information for normal memory processes.


Breast imaging and the augmented breast.

Women with augmented breast implants are presenting for mammograms in greater numbers over the past year due to recent publicity regarding the safety of silicone gel-filled implants. New issues are being raised in light of this recent increase, making it essential for patients and health care providers to understand the limitations of mammography and how to best minimize problems.


Hand assessment.

Health care personnel caring for a patient with an injured hand must fully understand the functional and structural anatomy as well as assessment methods involved with such an injury. This article will overview the importance of conducting a complete history and thorough examination of the hand as well as proper documentation procedures.


Nursing management of patients following combined free flap mandible reconstruction.

Combined free flap mandible reconstruction can improve the quality of life for cancer patients both functionally and psychologically. Plastic surgical nurses have a unique role in empowering patients and helping them to regain their most personal basic needs.


Amplification of plasmid (L factor) DNA and increased production of a plasmid gene product (gamma-interferon) in mouse L cells.

It has previously been reported that composite DNAs derived from L factor, a polyoma-related mammalian plasmid, can be established in several mouse cell lines after transfection. Here, we report that the copy number of a plasmid composite DNA consisting of L factor, pBR DNA, dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) gene, and gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) gene was increased more than 10-fold after two successive adaptations of the plasmid-bearing mouse L cells to increasing concentrations of methotrexate (MTX), an inhibitor of dhfr. The structure of the amplified L factor plasmid remained intact during prolonged cell culture, but the copy number remained to be amplified only when the selective pressure (presence of MTX in the medium) has been exerted during the culture. Cells bearing the amplified plasmid produced a higher level of gamma-IFN compared with the original clone, which was likely to be derived from the plasmid gamma-IFN gene amplified along with L factor and the dhfr gene.


Complete nucleotide sequence of a Selenomonas ruminantium plasmid and definition of a region necessary for its replication in Escherichia coli.

A plasmid from Selenomonas ruminantium subspecies lactilytica has been subcloned in Escherichia coli K-12 and completely sequenced. Three open reading frames (ORFs) of 909, 801, and 549 bp were identified and the complete sequence was analyzed by comparison with DNA and protein databases. No significant deoxynucleotide or amino acid sequence homology with other published genes or proteins was detected. The plasmid was shown to replicate independently in E. coli K-12 by a DNA polymerase I-dependent mechanism and deletion analysis defined the DNA sequence responsible for this phenotype.


Molecular, genetic, and functional analysis of the basic replicon of pVA380-1, a plasmid of oral streptococcal origin.

The 4.2-kb cryptic plasmid pVA380-1 has been used as a vector for the cloning of antibiotic resistance genes directly in streptococci, and in the construction of Escherichia coli/Streptococcus shuttle vectors. The results of subcloning experiments located the basic replicon of pVA380-1 within a 2.5-kb region. The nucleotide base sequence of this region was determined and contained a single complete open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 237-amino-acid peptide with a predicted size of 29 kDa. This peptide and a region of the DNA molecule 5' to the ORF encoding it shared homology with the replication protein and plus origin, respectively, of the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pUB110. Data from Tn5 mutagenesis and complementation studies indicated that the protein product of the ORF was required for pVA380-1 replication in streptococci. Deletion of a region of the basic replicon distal to the plus origin and ORF produced an unstable derivative, and resulted in the accumulation of single-stranded replicative intermediates, consistent with the loss of a minus origin. All of these results suggest that pVA380-1 replicates by a rolling circle mode, and is most closely related to the pC194 family of single-stranded DNA plasmids.


Physical map of the vitopine Ti plasmid pTiS4.

Within the Agrobacterium vitis group the vitopine strains represent a special subclass. Vitopine bacteria carry Ti plasmids with little or no homology with the well-characterized T-DNAs of Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The 262-kb Ti plasmid of the vitopine strain S4 was cloned and mapped. Homology studies with the octopine Ti plasmid pTiAch5, the nopaline Ti plasmid pTiC58, and the agropine/mannopine Ri plasmid pRiHRI identified several regions of homology. The origin of replication was localized to within 2.5 kb.


Transfer of mobilizable plasmids to Sorangium cellulosum and evidence for their integration into the chromosome.

Recombinant vectors derived from the broad-host-range mobilizable plasmid pSUP2021 were constructed and transferred by IncP-mediated conjugation from Escherichia coli to Sorangium cellulosum, where they were integrated into the chromosome by homologous recombination and maintained stably. This appears to be the first system of gene transfer to S. cellulosum.


Functional analysis of pAL5000 plasmid in Mycobacterium fortuitum.

Four of the five open reading frames (ORFs) present in Myobacterium fortuitum pAL5000 plasmid (ORF1, ORF3, ORF4, and ORF5) are dispensable for replication in M. fortuitum. However, two additional ORFs (ORF1 and ORF5) were necessary for replication in a Myobacterium smegmatis heterologous host containing an efficient plasmid transformation mutation.


DNA sequence and analysis of a cryptic 4.2-kb plasmid from the filamentous cyanobacterium, Plectonema sp. strain PCC 6402.

The 4194-bp plasmid, pRF1, from Plectonema sp. Strain PCC 6402 was completely sequenced and analyzed. Seven potential open reading frames were identified. The predicted amino acid sequence of open reading frame C (ORF C) had identities of 34, 29, and 25% with Rep B from the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid, pUB110; Rep from the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens plasmid, pFTB14; and protein A from the S. aureus plasmid, pC194, respectively. A 75-amino-acid region conserved in these proteins (Rep B, Rep, and protein A) also was highly conserved in ORF C with identities of 45, 37, and 40%, respectively. Significantly, 16 of the 21 amino acids conserved in Rep B, Rep, and protein A were found at the same positions in ORF C. This ORF may encode a replication protein that includes a region conserved in some eubacteria. Additional structural features include a 425-bp region that contains palindromes, tandem repeats, and short direct repeats which may correspond to the origin of replication. An 18-bp inverted repeat was located between two open reading frames, A and G.


Production of an immunoglobulin gene product by the plasmid expression vector L factor in mouse myeloma cells.

L factor, originally discovered in a subclone of mouse L cells, is a multicopy mammalian plasmid whose structure is related to that of polyoma. When a composite DNA consisting of L factor, pBR, bacterial neo, and an immunoglobulin (kappa) gene was introduced into mouse myeloma cells, the DNA was established as plasmids in the cells without rearrangement or integration into the chromosomes. The plasmid-bearing myeloma cells produced kappa mRNA and the gene product, kappa immunoglobulin, which were apparently derived from the gene located on plasmid L factor. These results suggest that L factor can be used as a plasmid expression vector for studies on gene expression and production of biologically active substances in mammalian cells.


Stimulation of LH release from cultured pituitary cells by saponins of Petersianthus macrocarpus: a permeabilizing effect.

Aqueous extracts from stem bark of Petersianthus macrocarpus contain substances exhibiting both estrogenic and antiestrogenic potency. Triterpenic saponins were identified and extracted as a bulk. Their action on the in vitro LH released by cultured rat pituitary cells was investigated. P. macrocarpus saponins stimulated the LH release in a dose-dependent manner (from 10 micrograms/ml to 300 micrograms/ml). When added simultaneously, saponins and LHRH exerted initial additive effects on LH release, demonstrating independent mechanisms of stimulation. If cells were pre-treated with saponins for 15 min, the amount of LH released under a subsequent LHRH stimulation was lowered, presumably due to a partial depletion of the cells in hormone (data not presented). However, the action of saponins on LH release did not appear specific since a general permeabilizing effect of the cell membrane was evidenced both by trypan blue exclusion and by analysis of the total protein output. When using low concentrations of saponins (10 micrograms/ml), scanning electron microscopy did not reveal any significant alteration of the cell structure, which explains why the cells remain responsive to LHRH after withdrawal of saponins. With higher concentrations (greater than 30 micrograms/ml), the same analytical studies evidenced numerous perforations of the cell membrane, with subsequent cell death. Two highly purified saponin species were tested on LH release by cultured cells; one of them (petersaponin I) appeared responsible for the observed biological effects in vitro. But as cells were shown to be efficiently protected from saponin effects by the presence of serum, it may be concluded that saponins of P. macrocarpus extracts are probably not candidate molecules promoting the in vivo estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects.


Effect of Galphimia glauca methanolic extract on neuropharmacological tests.

Galphimia glauca Cav. (Malpighiaceae) is used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of nervous excitement. A methanolic extract from its aerial parts (MEGA) was tested in several neuropharmacological animal models including among others: hypothermic activity, barbiturate potentiation, protection against strychnine- and leptazol-induced convulsions. The combined data obtained from all biological models demonstrate the sedative property of this plant product.


Diuretic action of aqueous Orthosiphon extract in rats.

An aqueous extract of Orthosiphonis folium, given orally, enhances considerably ion excretion in rat to a level comparable to that obtained with furosemide. No aqueretic action is observed. The increased ion excretion is not due to the potassium content of the starting material.


Mitogenic activities in the protein fractions of crude drugs.

Eighteen different crude drugs were extracted with hot water and saline, and protein fractions were prepared from the extracts by ammonium sulfate precipitation. Mitogenic activities of the protein fractions were examined both on human peripheral blood lymphocytes and on mouse spleen cells. Potent mitogenic activities for both human and/or mouse lymphocytes were found in the protein fractions of four crude drugs, namely, Bupleuri radix, Pinelliae tuber, Sophorae radix, and Zedoariae rhizoma. Target specificities of these mitogens were investigated by using isolated T and B cells and lymphocytes from athymic nude mice. Sensitivity to protease digestion as well as water-soluble, ammonium sulfate precipitable nature assures that the substances responsible for the mitogenic activities are proteins.


Stimulatory effects of ingenols from Euphorbia kansui on the expression of macrophage Fc receptor.

Immune complex binding to macrophages was enhanced by treatment with an E. kansui extract. Systematic fractionation of the extract led to the characterization of 3-O-(2'E,4'Z-decadienoyl)- and 3-O-(2,3-dimethylbutyryl)-13- O-n-dodecanoyl-13-hydroxyingenol as the active principles. Immune complex binding to macrophages by the action of these compounds increased in a dose-dependent manner. When each ingenol (10 nM) was added to the separated culture medium, the immune complex binding ability of macrophages increased up to 2-fold, respectively. Scatchard analysis showed the enhanced expression of the Fc-receptor for gamma-globulin by the action of each ingenol to macrophages. This Fc-receptor upregulation was dependent on RNA synthesis, suggesting a possible de novo synthesis.


A peptide from Schumanniophyton magnificum with anti-cobra venom activity.

Using the chick biventer cervicis preparation as a bioassay for antivenom activity, a peptide has been isolated from the aqueous extract of the bark of Schumanniophyton magnificum. The peptide was isolated and purified by a combination of reverse-phase and exclusion column chromatography, preparative TLC, and HPLC. The peptide has a relative molecular mass of about 6000 daltons and is similar in amino acid composition to the cardiotoxins present in snake venom. The isolated peptide showed dose-related inhibitions of the effects of cardiotoxin and total venom of cobra species using the chick biventer cervicis preparation.


Acetylenic glucosides from Microglossa pyrifolia.

From the leaves of Microglossa pyrifolia Lam. (Asteraceae) four new acetylenic glucosides (1-4) have been isolated. The aglucones 2a and 4a are new polyynes. The aglucone 3a could only be isolated as a mixture of E/Z-isomers in a ratio of 4:1. The structures of 1-4 were elucidated by spectroscopic and biochemical methods. Compound 1 shows antibacterial activity.


Intraoperative physiologic blood flow studies in the TRAM flap.

An intraoperative study was done to establish the functional and quantitative properties of the blood supply to the TRAM flap through the assessment and manipulation of blood flow through the deep epigastric arterial system. Seventeen patients undergoing unilateral postmastectomy breast reconstruction with lower transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps were studied. The study is divided into two parts: (1) ultrasonic measurement of blood flow in the deep inferior epigastric artery (DIEA), and (2) direct measurement of blood pressure in the deep epigastric arterial system, after division of the deep inferior epigastric artery. With occlusion of the superior epigastric artery at the level of the upper edge of the skin flap, 71 percent of the patients had a decrease in the blood flow through the deep inferior epigastric artery, with an average decrease of 23 percent. This implies that the area of watershed perfusion in the lower TRAM flap is superior to the umbilicus, and therefore, survival of all lower TRAM flap tissues requires reversal in the normal direction of arterial flow to the flap. The blood pressure in the proximal stump of the deep inferior epigastric arterial system averaged 46 percent of the mean systemic blood pressure. Occlusion of the medial and lateral thirds of the isolated rectus muscle decreased the mean arterial blood pressure in the flap an average of 19 percent in 80 percent of the individuals studied. These data support the technique of harvesting the entire rectus muscle, avoiding muscle-splitting maneuvers that may compromise axial blood flow.


Care of maxillofacial injuries: survey of plastic surgeons.

The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the current trends in the care of facial trauma. Data were obtained through the responses of a survey mailed to all those members and candidates listed in the 1989 American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Directory. A total of 2777 questionnaires were sent, with 1113 (40 percent) returned by means of a self-addressed envelope. Demographic results show that over 70 percent of the treating plastic surgeons fall within the age range 30 to 50 years. Although significant advances have occurred, treatment goals have remained unchanged. These center around the principles of accurate reduction and precise stabilization of fracture segments. The results of this survey reveal that a number of acceptable techniques were employed in the surgical repair of mandibular and zygomatic complex fractures. In the care of Le Fort III fractures, 59 percent of the respondents preferred the use of miniplates and screws for stabilization. Only 26.8 percent believed that facial fracture repair should be performed within the initial 24 hours. With frontal sinus fractures, the vast majority of plastic surgeons (82.1 percent) obtained a neurosurgical consultation. When the posterior wall was involved, 45.6 percent favored removal of the sinus mucosa, 29.7 percent obliterated the frontal sinus with a variety of autogenous materials, while 20.5 percent preferred cranialization. In summary, this survey shows a wide variation in the practice of facial fracture management within the plastic surgical community.


The fate of plates and screws after facial fracture reconstruction.

Rigid plate and screw fixation is the mainstay of treatment for complex fractures of the facial skeleton. Complications of plate and screw fixation include prominence, infection, exposure, and migration. Five hundred and seven patients undergoing plate and screw fixation for facial fractures (1112 fractures) from 1983 to 1988 were followed for complications. Sixty-one patients (12 percent) required hardware removal. The location on the facial skeleton influenced symptoms and the rate of hardware removal. Infection and exposure may be decreased with antiseptic irrigations, avoiding mucosal damage, attention to proper mucosal closure, and correct placement of plates. Prominence may be decreased by the use of microplates in the supraorbital, frontal, and naso-orbital-ethmoid locations.


Analysis and results of treatment of established posttraumatic facial deformities.

The clinical records of 125 patients undergoing treatment for posttraumatic facial deformities (PTFD) from 1979 to 1990 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with complex fractures had a combination of at least three of the major fracture categories [Le Fort I, II, III; naso-orbital-ethmoid (NOE); zygomatic; frontobasilar; and mandibular]. Twenty-five patients (20 percent) were found to have severe posttraumatic facial deformities resulting from a complex facial fracture pattern. Sixteen were males and nine were females, and their ages at the time of our first reconstructive procedure ranged from 22 to 64 years (mean 33 years). All patients presented to our clinic with severe posttraumatic facial deformities from 1 month to 26 years (mean 5 years) after original injury. The number of prior reconstructive attempts averaged two (range 0 to 9). Arbitrary severity scores assigned by us were mild in 4, moderate in 12, and severe in 9 patients. Once treatment was initiated in our clinic, the average number of operations was 3.76 until completion (range 1 to 15). Surgical treatment was aimed first at reestablishing proper skeletal, vertical, transverse, and sagittal proportions. Once skeletal foundations were reset, the more delicate naso-orbital-ethmoid and lateral canthal relations were addressed. Of the 25 patients, 13 (52 percent) suffered a complication at some point during their surgical management. In these 13 patients, 20 complications occurred in a total of 94 operations for an overall complication rate of 21 percent. Fifteen of the 20 complications were related to infection. Skeletal abnormalities in patients with posttraumatic facial deformities can generally be corrected with current craniomaxillofacial techniques. Ultimately, an excellent result in terms of skeletal reconstruction is compromised by the status of the surrounding soft tissue. More in-depth knowledge of the nature and magnitude of the initial and subsequent soft-tissue injury will contribute to our ability to treat these disfiguring posttraumatic sequelae.


Comparison of transcutaneous incisions used for exposure of the infraorbital rim and orbital floor: a retrospective study.

One hundred and five patients were investigated for functional and aesthetic impairments following treatment of orbital trauma through subciliary, mid-lower eyelid, or infraorbital incisions. The progress of impairments with time was assessed, and the merits and shortcomings of each of the three approaches were established. The results showed that impairments persisting up to 6 months postoperatively have virtually not receded even after 6 years. The infraorbital incision showed the highest frequency of impairments, followed by the subciliary incision. The mid-lower eyelid incision showed the best results, with an impairment frequency well below those of the other two approaches. This approach seems to combine the advantages of the infraorbital incision with the unnoticeable scar formation associated with the subciliary incision.


Age-related changes of the craniofacial skeleton: an anthropometric and histologic analysis.

With the development of increasingly sophisticated methods for the alteration of bony facial form consequent to age, it is imperative that the surgeon have a fundamental knowledge of the age-related changes the skeleton may undergo. To understand these changes better, a detailed anthropometric and histomorphic analysis of the craniofacial skeleton as a function of age was undertaken. The study consisted of a detailed craniometric analysis of 160 skulls selected randomly from a Caucasian population of skeletal remains totaling 1500 specimens. Additionally, a histologic analysis of the supraorbital ridge in a separate preserved cadaver population was performed. Although the results showed individual variation as expected, definite changes in craniofacial morphology were observed. These included (1) appreciable reduction of facial height, most marked in the maxilla and mandible, and strongly correlated with loss of teeth, (2) modest increase in facial width, (3) modest increase in facial depth, except in those regions associated with tooth loss, and (4) general coarsening of bony prominences. Histomorphic analysis demonstrated increasing porosity with age, more marked in the female population. Although these changes represent population trends, in any given patient, any or all of them may be present to varying degrees. Surgeons should be aware of these possibilities and consider selective alterations of the skeletal foundation, either separately or in concert with the overlying soft-tissue envelope, in order to optimize the results of surgery for the aging face.


Rhytidectomy and the nasolabial fold.

I describe a technical modification in the Skoog face lift procedure that releases the deep attachments of the SMAS to the muscles of facial expression for maximal mobility of the medial cheek yet elevates the cheek flap as a composite of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and SMAS to enhance skin perfusion. My results with the procedure in 100 patients are analyzed by using functional zones of the nasolabial fold corresponding to underlying musculature and a simple grading system based on preoperative and postoperative photographs. Marked improvement in the nasolabial fold was noted in over 80 percent of patients by 6 and 12 months postoperatively. This effect seemed to last up to 4 years.


The external oblique flap for reconstruction of the rectus sheath.

Despite the availability of synthetic materials and distant fascial flaps, primary closure of ventral abdominal defects with contiguous tissues remains the preferred solution. Increased experience with such defects in the lower abdomen, particularly at the time of bilateral rectus muscle transposition, led in 1985 to the investigation of an external oblique abdominis flap for closure of the anterior rectus sheath. From October of 1985 to October of 1990, 33 patients underwent repair of bilateral lower rectus abdominis defects with the help of bilateral external oblique flaps. Each of the patients had undergone synchronous chest or breast reconstruction using a transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap including bilateral rectus muscle pedicles. Although all patients in this study had undergone double-pedicle rectus muscle procedures, not all patients having had double-pedicle rectus muscle procedures required this maneuver. External oblique flaps were performed at the time of rectus sheath repair only if fascia could not be approximated without tearing. After closure of the bilateral paramedian defect, synthetic mesh overlay was added only if the direct closure still appeared excessively tight. At the time of advancement of the external oblique muscle and fascia, the internal oblique abdominis muscle and lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh were preserved. Of the 33 patients who underwent this procedure, 7 required the addition of mesh overlay. Thirty-two patients healed uneventfully with a remarkably solid ventral abdominal wall. One patient developed an early postoperative hernia subsequent to a major and prolonged abdominal-wall infection and abscess. Patient follow-up ranged from 1 to 36 months, with a mean of 12 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Upper extremity impairment in workers performing repetitive tasks.

A series of subjective and objective measures were chosen to determine impairment of upper extremity function in 157 workers performing repetitive tasks. Workers were asked to respond to questions regarding their perception of the presence or absence of numbness, pain, weakness, or swelling in their upper extremities. Objective tests consisted of the measurement of grip strength, pinch strength, Semmes-Weinstein monofilament sensory responses, vibrometer responses, neurometer measurement, and the presence or absence of Tinel's or Phalen's signs. These measures were considered collectively to estimate the overall levels of impairment of each individual. Overall findings show that 55 percent of workers examined had impairment scores of 2 or more and 75 percent had scores of 1 or more. Significant differences were found in impairment ratings between job types. Those jobs requiring the highest repetition with the least rest per cycle had the highest impairment ratings. Workers that rotated jobs had impairment scores significantly less (p less than 0.005) than the average of workers performing single-task jobs. We conclude that cumulative trauma disorders are more prevalent than originally believed and that the disorder is best examined from an overall functional impairment perspective.


Neonatal Volkmann's ischemic contracture of the forearm: a report of five cases.

We report five cases of children born with forearm wounds associated with motor and sensory losses to the hand and forearm. Their evolution toward muscle retraction is very similar to the classic description of Volkmann's ischemic contracture. These cases should not be confused with upper extremity gangrene of the newborn or aplasia cutis congenita. Two cases of neonatal Volkmann's ischemia have already been reported in the literature and identified as such. Another very similar case has been reported as upper extremity gangrene of the newborn, and three more cases of a forearm wound with neuromuscular involvement have been reported as aplasia cutis congenita. We believe that neonatal Volkmann's ischemic contracture of the forearm should be recognized as a separate entity. Its early diagnosis may improve treatment, especially for children with recent injury, in whom intracompartmental pressures may still be elevated. Early hand therapy and splinting are mandatory to minimize late sequelae.


The role of local fasciocutaneous flaps in total burn wound management.

The majority of acute burn wounds or delayed reconstructions are best managed simply with a skin graft. However, if vascularized tissue is mandatory, the local fasciocutaneous flap may have an important role in providing a single-stage technique for obtaining tissue nearly identical in color, texture, and consistency to that of the defect being restored. This review of 182 consecutive burn patients needing surgery found that they underwent 233 separate episodes for skin grafting. Appropriately, only a fraction of this number required some form of vascularized flap, with 14 patients having 21 local fasciocutaneous flaps. Six were elevated in previously skin-grafted regions, which is an advantage peculiar to this flap type. Three flaps (14 percent) suffered major complications requiring a second surgical intervention. Only six of all flaps were used for acute burn wounds, but two of the three complications accrued in this subset, with one directly attributable to wound infection. Since most flaps were required for either coverage or release of contractures about joints, it has been recommended that the initial surgical approach for treatment of the acute wound in these regions be altered to preserve the fascial plexus whenever possible to permit the use of this simple and expedient alternative if it is needed later.


Long-term histopathologic evaluation of human expanded skin.

Forty-two patients operated on by skin expansion have been contacted after a mean time of 25 months from the last surgery. Two biopsies have been taken from the expanded area of each patient. In 12 patients it has been possible to obtain a similar sampling from the opposite, nonexpanded area of the body. The samples underwent optic microscopy and cell kinetic and DNA content investigations. The epidermal structure of the followed-up skin, compared with the skin of the opposite side of the body, looks normal. The mitotic activity of the epidermal cells has returned to the values of preexpanded skin. The dermis shows a low degree of elastosis and zonal fragmentation of elastic fibers. The hypodermis, where the expander capsule was removed during the last surgery, does not show an accentuated fibrosis.


The vasculature and clinical application of the posterior tibial perforator-based flap.

Use of the posterior tibial flap pedicled on the posterior tibial vessels has been described by several authors, but with it there is the major disadvantage of an unavoidable transection of the posterior tibial artery. To overcome this disadvantage, we anatomically studied the perforators from the posterior tibial artery and used posterior tibial perforator-based flaps clinically. Based on our anatomic study of 25 cadaveric legs, the cutaneous perforators were considered to be distributed from the distal to the proximal sides of the lower leg through the medial border of the tibia, and they were classified into three types: septocutaneous perforators mainly located in the distal third of the leg, muscle perforators located in the proximal half, and periosteal perforators in the proximal third of the leg. The average size and number of perforators was 0.8 mm and 3.1 in one leg, respectively. A considerable number were located at sites from 70 to 140 mm superior to the medial malleolus. Based on our clinical cases repaired with flaps, we consider this flap to be useful as a free flap for the repair of defects of the extremities and as an island flap for reconstruction of defects on the anteromedial aspect of the lower leg. The territory of the flap is relatively wide, being 19 x 13 cm. The long saphenous vein can be used safely as the venous drainage system in the case of free-flap transfer.


Initial platelet deposition at the human microvascular anastomosis: effect on downstream platelet deposition to intact and injured vessels.

Initial platelet deposition (PD) in and around the region of a small-vessel anastomosis may set the stage for thrombosis and tissue loss. To study this problem, a human vessel model (human placental artery, HPA) has been designed to mimic the vascular injuries attendant on clinical microsurgery. To perform these studies, dissected lengths of human placental artery were treated to provide the following four types of injury: group I: control, dissected but otherwise uninjured (N = 5); group II: distal portion of vessel endothelium removed (N = 5); group III: central anastomosis, distal endothelium intact (N = 7); and group IV: central anastomosis, distal endothelium removed (N = 4). Vessels were perfused with 25 ml human whole blood for 17 +/- 5 s at an average shear rate of 536 s-1. Vessels in groups I to IV were segmented at 2-cm intervals, and the number of 111In-labeled platelets was measured. Data from the following groups of exposure zones were pooled and analyzed: endothelium intact, endothelium absent, anastomosis present, postanastomosis with endothelium intact, and postanastomosis with endothelium absent. Significant numbers of platelets were found to attach to intact endothelium, indicating that ischemia and microsurgical handling may augment platelet deposition to otherwise uninjured vessels. A similar degree of platelet deposition was measured after exposure of the subendothelium and perfusion, indicating that superficial subendothelial exposure in the absence of an additional prothrombotic stimulus may lead to no greater platelet deposition than occurs on slightly injured endothelium alone. Platelet deposition at anastomoses was strikingly elevated, although the anastomosis had no additive effect on platelet deposition to downstream endothelium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Improving acute skin-flap survival through stress conditioning using heat shock and recovery.

We present our initial experience with a new method of increasing the survival of acute skin flaps through stress conditioning using heat shock and recovery. The heat-shock response is a basic form of stress response that exists on the cellular level. When cultured cells or whole organisms are exposed to supraphysiologic levels of heat, they respond by synthesizing a number of highly conserved proteins known as heat-shock proteins. These proteins have been shown to offer the cell or organism a survival advantage over nonstressed controls. The study demonstrates a significant survival advantage in acute dorsal skin flaps of Sprague-Dawley rats (p = 0.001). Study animals (n = 10) were subjected to a heating blanket set at 45 degrees C for 30 minutes and were allowed 6 hours' recovery before developing the flaps. Heat-shock protein was demonstrated in immunohistochemically stained sections of skin from the study animals but not in control animal skin (n = 14). We postulate that through stress conditioning a latent mechanism present within all cells was activated, thereby allowing the cells of our experimental flaps to better survive the stress of the acute flap model.


Postburn breast reconstruction: tissue expansion prior to contracture release.

Tissue expansion of the scarred chest following burns results in a poor breast mound shape with little projection or inframammary fold, since the expander, like normal developing breast tissue, is kept flat by the scarred skin envelope. We present a case that demonstrates that adequate projection of the breast and formation of an inframammary fold can be achieved by expansion if extensive release and skin grafting of contractures over the breast mound are performed after expansion. Maintained expansion will act as a stent reducing secondary contracture of the grafted-areas.


Successful bone grafting of fracture nonunion at the forearm radial flap donor site.

A case of donor-site fracture following a radial forearm flap was treated conservatively with plaster but failed to unite. Successful union was achieved with bone grafting, external fixation, and electrical stimulation. It is suggested that in similar cases of delayed union, or where a large amount of bone has been resected from the radius and there is a significant risk of fracture or where fracture has occurred intraoperatively, the possibility of primary bone grafting should be considered.


Reconstruction of a complex defect of the hand with two distinct segments of the scapula and a scapular fascial flap transferred as a single transplant.

To repair multiple defects of the metacarpal bones in combination with skin defects, a combined scapular free flap on a single vascular pedicle--the subscapular artery and the accompanying veins--can be used successfully. This flap includes two distinct bone segments of the lateral border of the scapula and a scapular fascial flap. Because of its long and mobile vascular pedicle, such a transplant can be used for one-stage reconstruction of the first and other metacarpal bones of the long fingers of the hand. The scapular fascial flap included in the transplant provides good functional and aesthetic results in combined injury of the skin of the hand.


Clinical application of peripheral nerve transplantation.

Surgical reconstruction of extensive peripheral nerve injuries frequently exhausts the patient's own source of expendable autogenous nerve grafts. Nerve allografts would offer a limitless supply of graft material. A 23-cm, 10-cable sciatic nerve allograft was performed in an 8-year-old boy in September of 1988. The patient was managed with Cyclosporin A for 2 years. Forty-four months after the transplant surgery and 19 months after the cessation of Cyclosporin A therapy, the patient has evidence of nerve regeneration across the allograft with recovery of functional sensibility in his foot. In the selected patient with an otherwise irreparable nerve injury, consideration can be given to the use of a nerve allograft.


A method with three triangular flaps as a secondary operative procedure after reconstruction of the lower lip by Estlander's method.

We have devised a new method for secondary commissuroplasty after reconstruction of the lower lip using Estlander's method with both aesthetically and functionally satisfactory results. This method consists of forming two equilaterally triangular mucosal flaps on the vermilion and a small triangular skin flap in the new position of the commissure and transposing these three flaps to reconstruct the commissure. In the present paper, we reported the procedure and the results. This method produces extremely good results, obtaining favorable commissure form and reconstruction of the mucosa of both upper and lower lips without leaving an unnatural-looking color change in the mucosa or a step deformity in the vermilion. It can be expected that our method will improve the results of Estlander's operations after tumor resection in the lower lip.


A new operation for velopharyngeal insufficiency: the palatoglossus myomucosal pharyngoplasty.

Myomucosal flaps employing the palatoglossi were used to correct posttonsillectomy velopharyngeal insufficiency because the palatopharyngeus were resected with the posterior tonsillar pillar. This new sphincter pharyngoplasty may have a role as a secondary option for treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency. It should be remembered that this operation has only been performed in a single patient without cleft palate, and, therefore, its application in the cleft population and its potential complication rate are unknown.


Microsurgical forearm "cricket bat-transformer" phalloplasty.

Presently, the donor flap of choice for microsurgical phallic reconstruction is the radial forearm flap. The success of several different design modifications confirms the reliability of the radial and ulnar forearm flaps. Farrow et al. described their experience with the "cricket bat" concept in 1980. To the previous "cricket bat" design, we now wish to add modifications. These modifications utilize longitudinal and transverse rotations of the linear forearm tissues to create a phallus--much like the transformation of a toy robot into a truck. Deepithelialized flaps and a full-thickness skin graft coronoplasty complete glans reconstruction. The "cricket bat-transformer" flap appears to produce the most predictable results in subtotal phallic reconstructions and phallic constructions in the pediatric and transgender patient groups.


Impact of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The "impact" of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was evaluated by bibliometric analysis. This technique considers the average frequency with which journal authors refer to articles published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The impact of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was compared with that of journals most commonly referred to within Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as with that of journals read most commonly by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery subscribers, such as the Annals of Plastic Surgery and the Journal of Hand Surgery (both American and British editions). The impact factor for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was at least twice as great as for any other journal related to this surgical subspecialty. With regard to other surgical subspecialties, while the impact factor for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was less than that of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Urology, and Journal of Ophthalmology, it was greater than those for orthopedics, otolaryngology, hand surgery, and dermatologic surgery.


Endoscopic creation and repair of fetal cleft lip.

In utero repair of several life-threatening malformations in the human fetus is now a clinical reality, yet fetal surgery still poses significant risks to both the mother and the unborn child. Preterm labor is a major problem and is directly related to the large hysterotomy required for fetal exposure. Endoscopic surgical manipulation of the fetus, through small uterine "ports," solves this problem and may eventually permit fetal intervention for non-life-threatening malformations. In this pilot study we demonstrated the feasibility of performing endoscopic surgery on the fetus in situ. A lip incision was created and repaired using endoscopic microsurgical techniques in midgestation fetal lambs. This represents the first application of this technique for in utero fetal intervention.


A model for fetal cleft lip repair in lambs.

Fetal wounds heal without inflammation and scar formation. This phenomenon may, in the future, be applicable to human cleft lip and palate repair. However, extensive experimental work must first be done to document the benefits of in utero repair. We developed a large animal model for creation and repair of a complete cleft lip and alveolus using fetal lambs. The cleft lip and alveolus deformity was created in eight 75-day-gestation fetuses (term = 145 days) and either repaired in three layers or left unrepaired. There were four sham-operated fetuses, and all animals were alive at harvest. Repaired, unrepaired, and control fetuses were harvested at 7, 14, 21, and 70 days following surgery. The unrepaired fetuses demonstrated a complete cleft lip and alveolus with an oronasal fistula. The maxilla was asymmetrical, with the greater segment deviated toward the cleft and with decreased anterior maxillary width. In contrast, repaired cleft lip and alveolus animals showed no scar, normal thickness of the lip, and a symmetrical maxilla. Histologic analysis of the repaired wounds showed evidence of tissue regeneration without scar formation. The results of this preliminary study indicate that the fetal lamb cleft lip and alveolus model is technically feasible with an excellent survival rate. Healing occurs without scar formation. In the repaired animals, the maxilla was symmetrical. This model will be used to document facial growth following in utero repair of a cleft lip and alveolus.


Free forearm flap for closure of difficult oronasal fistulas in cleft palate patients.

There were four patients with palatal clefts who had been operated on many times previously but who still had large oronasal defects due to wound disruption. Moreover, there was considerable scar in the residual palatal tissue, which was contracted in the anteroposterior dimension. These patients were treated with a radial forearm flap transfer. The technical aspects of this reconstruction are emphasized, especially methods to enhance primary healing and to facilitate in setting the flap. Three of the patients were successfully reconstructed with one operation. The fourth had a small area of dehiscence anteriorly that was later closed with advancement of the flap tissue. There were no other complications. With the replacement of healthy tissue, the palate could be pushed further back to achieve better repair of the muscle. This would contribute to better speech function. In every patient, nasal regurgitation was eliminated, and speech quality improved significantly. The radial forearm flap is ideal for intraoral use, providing thin, hairless skin with a long, large-caliber vascular pedicle. It can reconstruct defects in one stage with well-vascularized tissue and minimal dissection of the palate. In a select group of cleft palate patients, this free-tissue transfer should be considered to achieve closure of large oronasal fistulas in patients with dense scar.


The radial forearm flap: a biomechanical study of donor-site morbidity utilizing sheep tibia.

The use of vascularized bone grafts to reconstruct extremity and mandibular defects is now commonplace in reconstructive surgery. Fibula, scapula, iliac crest, rib, and metatarsal as well as the radial forearm osseocutaneous flaps have all been utilized for this purpose. Troublesome spiral fractures of the distal radius are the most common fractures associated with the use of the distal radius as a vascularized bone-graft donor site. This study was proposed to investigate the effect of donor-site bone loss on the strength of the radius under torsional (rotational) loading. Previous clinical series and experimental studies have not examined this aspect of distal radius loading after harvesting the bone graft. Fifty pairs of sheep tibiae were utilized in the experiment. Five pairs were used in a pilot study and 45 pairs were used in the main experiment. Five pairs of human radii were used for the control in the pilot study. The pilot study attempted to make a comparison between the human radius and the sheep tibia for experimental purposes. For the biomechanical study of donor-site defects, four study groups were examined with random assignment and matched pairs. The control group (group 1) had no alteration to the bone. Each test condition included five matched pairs of sheep tibiae. Experiment 1 compared the difference in the depth of the osteotomy defect. In doing this, one-third of the total length of the bone was removed in each of the following specimens to include (1a) 30 percent of the cross-sectional area of the total bone, (1b) 37 percent of the cross-sectional area of the total bone, and (1c) 50 percent of the cross-sectional area of the total bone. In experiment 2, the osteotomy shape was varied. Instead of the ends of the cuts being squared, the ends were beveled or rounded. Experiment 3 compared different lengths of bone removed in the osteotomy defect and included the following: In experiment 3a the diameter of the sheep tibia was measured at the incisura fibularis. This dimension was one diameter of bone, and a one-diameter length of bone was removed. In experiment 3b, a two-diameter length of bone was removed. In experiment 3c, a three-diameter length of bone was removed. In experiment 3d, a four-diameter length of bone was removed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Long-term results following velopharyngoplasty with a cranially based pharyngeal flap.

Between 1980 and 1989, 82 velopharyngoplasties have been carried out in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Medical University of Hannover. Speech results of 51 of these patients, including 39 patients with cleft lip and palate, could be followed up in the context of a clinical follow-up examination. Besides evaluation of speech results by two senior speech pathologists and two untrained listeners, a frequency analysis of the speech results with a sonograph was obtained. Nasal air loss was documented with a fogged-mirror test and computer aerometry. Whereas in 37 of 51 patients a normal or almost normal colloquial speech could be demonstrated, 30 of 39 patients with cleft lip and palate showed a normal or almost normal realization of the test sentences. Thirty of the 37 patients (81.08 percent) with normal or almost normal colloquial speech showed extensive mobility of the lateral pharyngeal wall. Symmetry of the velopharyngeal flaps seemed to have no influence on the speech result. With a fogged-mirror test, an average reduction of mirror fogging from 2.0 rings preoperatively to 0.9 rings postoperatively could be shown. In 31 patients, there was no longer any air loss postoperatively. Besides one rupture of a flap, two flaps had to be diminished in their lateral dimensions because of excessive size. We regard the cranially pedicled pharyngeal flap as an important operative procedure for improving speech results, especially in cleft lip and palate patients.